GATE: Thus the Van Doos fought there!
by Goodalwayswins98
Summary: In 20XX, a mysterious GATE appeared in Ginza, Tokyo along with an invading army. As the invaders attacked, innocent tourists from many countries are savagely attacked. A mighty coalition is set up to bring those responsibles to justice. Thus the Canadian soldiers of the Royal 22e Régiment, amongst others, are thrown into this brave new world. This is their story, their legacy.
1. Prologue: On the other side of the World

**Author's note:** After many weeks of work, this story is finally online. I give my thanks to F14 Tomcat Lover for being my beta reader and advisor and Faust 1812 for inspiring me to write this as well as his advice for the Marines in this story. Go check their fics...they're amazing. I also thank many of my friends and family for allowing me to use them as characters in this story.

My purpose in writing this is mostly as a means of escaping my everyday life throughout the adventures of my main OC in this story. Technically, it's me... if I went into the Canadian military along with my airsoft buddies. However, I'm aiming for a good credible story where over the top moments and realism with a happy ending and great heroic deeds.

Whenever dialogue is underligned, this means it's French in front of non speakers. This is due to the fact that the Royal 22e Régiment (known as the Van Doos in English) is a French regiment from Quebec, the French speaking province and the fact that the regiment is in the largely anglophone army of Canada. Feel free to read up on them on the internet.

For those of you who speak French, I'm working on a French translation right now. I want to do this simply to pay justice to the origin of the Royal 22e Régiment and to be more authentic by having the Van Doos use the unique Quebecer way of speaking French. Trust me...it's different from the more international dialect used by the French.

Without further ado...here's the story of the men of the Canadian Forces' Royal 22e Regiment in the Special Region. Enjoy your reading my fellow GATE fans. 

**Disclaimer: GATE doesn't belong to me.** **As for the real life organisations, this is a fictional story written about them and a fictional world** **. This is written as a work of fiction for people to enjoy on the internet. Only the OC's are mine with the exception of Corporal Steven Grey Ryan who belongs to F14 Tomcat Lover, my beta reader who allowed me to use him in this fic. Some of my OC's are based off real people but with their consent.**

 **GATE: Thus the Van Doos fought there!**

 _Prologue: On the other side of the world_

 **15 June 20XX, Yokota Airbase, 1300**

Lieutenant Itami Youji had just arrived from Tokyo along with other JSDF personnel. He was currently waiting on in a USAF base for an airplane bringing in foreign soldiers. A 33 year old man that was a proud otaku, he sighed in relief as he thought about his incredible luck. He had managed to wiggle his way through the bureaucracy to get his leave in time for his beloved doujinshi convention in August.

Today however, he part of a group of JSDF officials that were meeting the first personnel arriving in Japan from the Canadian Army. They were coming to Camp Fuji for exercises with the JSDF and the US Marine Corps after a round of exercises at the Camp Gonsalves Marine Corps Jungle Training Center on Okinawa.

Itami knew of the reputation of the USMC as tough soldiers but heard very few stories about the Canadian soldiers that he would meet. Of course, he knew the (in)famous jokes about Canadians being overly nice, constantly apologizing and always finishing their sentences with ''eh'' from the Internet.

He had read very quickly that he would meet the men and women of the _Royal 22_ _e_ _Régiment_ , the largest Canadian regiment also known as the Van Doos before they left for Camp Fuji. Itami recalled that they were special because of something with the language they spoke since they mostly spoke French rather than English. Alongside him stood other JSDF members of varying ranks. One female sergeant first class was particularly curious about the arriving soldiers.

''Sir, do you know anything about these Canadians?" asked Sergeant First Class Kuribayashi.

"Not really" answered Itami. "They aren't as well known as the American Marines"

"I wish we were the ones sent to meet the Americans instead. They're really badass and I heard they were tough as nails!"

Itami sighed at the short brown haired sergeant as he massaged his temples. She was just too enthusiastic for his own patience. At the same time, a grey C-130 transport plane bearing a maple leaf on its side and the Canadian flag on its tail, the first of its kind landed on the landing strip. After a few moments, soldiers began pouring out from the plane and were heading towards the terminal building. They were wearing digital green camouflage uniforms and had an aura of calm professionalism.

"I heard that Canada was a peaceful country that had the nicest people on Earth. How can the nicest people on Earth have an army sir?" asked Kuribayashi as she saw the Canadians forming up in front of an officer. Shortly afterwards, two officers, one American and one Japanese began addressing the Canadian soldiers. She also remembered the great reputation of Canadians as peacekeepers rather than superb frontline soldiers. She was clearly unimpressed at the newcomers.

"Honestly, I don't know Sergeant" groaned Itami. He was already feeling the headache coming. He saw through the window that the Canadians were being led towards the building he was in by US and JGSDF personnel.

" _If only this day could end... I can't wait to get home and watch Mei Com"_ he thought.

Some Canadian troops entered the room and started mingling with Itami's colleagues.

" _If I'm lucky, I won't be noticed by them"_ he mused. Unfortunately for the Otaku lieutenant, his musings were cut short when a tall Asian man wearing the Canadian Army combat uniform, beret and glasses and a group of Canadians soldiers were heading towards him and the bored sergeant. He saluted Itami before he started talking in an lightly accented English. They had not expected an Asian man like them as a Canadian officer. Every single one of the soldiers in front of Itami rose their hands to salute him. Their leader started talking as he lowered his right hand.

"Hello, I am Lieutenant Kinh-Luyên Huynh of the Royal 22nd Regiment's 4th Battalion of the Canadian Army and these are the men of 3rd Section (3SON), Alpha Company."

Tokyo airspace, 1200, Canadian Forces C130 Hercules transport plane en route to Yokota Airbase

Getting up from the not even spartan jump seat, 29 year-old Lieutenant Huynh Kinh-Luyên of the R22R was looking tiredly at his fellow CF soldiers who were waking up. He had just awoken from a nap after the two hour flight over the Pacific from Okinawa to Yokota and was starting to get really annoyed of being stuck in the same uncomfortable chair. ' _How do the paratroopers do it?'_ he shudderedinternally.

He was part of an infantry company of the R22R sent in to train alongside the Japanese and Americans. This was part of joint exercises between the three nations. His unit had already taken part in jungle fighting exercises with the American and Japanese military on Okinawa that had finished a few days earlier. The three armies had trained together and friendships were being made between the men of the three countries. Today however, the Canadian officer was flying into mainland Japan with his men.

They were scheduled for exercises with the JGSDF and US Marines at Camp Fuji against the Japanese's OPFOR unit that simulated a Chinese ground unit. This was amidst a period of diplomatic tensions with China in the East that could trigger a war. NATO needed to ready itself for this eventuality. However few members were geographically close enough to feasibly send forces to assist Japan, Australia and New-Zealand as well as other allies except the US and Canada. Thus decisions were taken to have Canadian military personnel train in Japan to prepare in case if a war ever erupted in the Pacific against the Chinese. This would be part of a series of exercises in the Pacific between various nations.

' _Calisse, I can't wait for this plane to land...I've been spending way too much fucking time in this shitty fucking plane'_ , Kinh thought as he looked at his fellow soldiers waking up.

Around him were his friends and some of his family. Everyone of them joined for different reasons. In the case of the lieutenant, at first he joined in order to help pay his Master's in Vietnamese History and Foreign Relations but liked it so much that he stayed and pursued his career in the armed forces. He also had family tradition to account for since his father, one of his uncles and one of his grandfathers had fought in Vietnam alongside the Americans against the Communists in the North. He joined to make his ancestors proud.

"Well slept sir?"

It was Private Joël Côté, Kinh's cousin that had enlisted along with him. He was actually half-Vietnamese and half-Quebecer since his mother was a Vietnamese refugee and his father had been a Canadian paratrooper. The 26 year old young man had studied to become a Canadian border guard but the job openings were filled before he finished. After spending a year or so looking for a job, he joined the military and ended up in the same platoon as his cousin. Both men remembered the following mother of all hangovers when they celebrated the fact.

"Haha...You know how well I sleep in these things and you do remember that I hate being called lieutenant when we're off duty ehh?" sighed Kinh before ruffling his chuckling cousin's dark brown hair.

"Goddammit guys, did you have to wake me up?" groaned another annoyed voice.

It was Private Julien Leclaire. Julien and Kinh had met each other in a party when they were still in college and then finding out that they lived near each other. Both men ended developing a quick friendship afterwards over memorably hilarious sessions of role playing games gone wrong. A dark hair bulky man, Julien had joined the military as a motivation to get himself physically fit as well as a means to get away from his job as an I.T. in a dysfunctional company.

"Dammit Julien, I was whispering...not my fault if you're a light sleeper" shot back Kinh.

"What can I do if the Lieutenant has an oversized mouth that never stops Julien?" answered Joël before high fiving his fellow private.

"That's an inappropriate way of speaking to an officer!" scolded Sergeant Mathieu Gagnon-Tremblay. He was the oldest member of 3SON at 32 years old as well as its commanding NCO. He was a former reservist that had transferred to a regular army unit. He had met Kinh when Mathieu had founded an airsoft club with another common friend and his friend had invited Kinh. Both men had become friends due to the fact that both men were military enthusiasts as well being fellow nerds.

"Thank you sergeant"

"No problem sir...someone has to make sure that discipline is properly maintained here." answered Mathieu.

"Well you know sir it's a good thing that the sergeant is here...otherwise there wouldn't be any discipline around here!" quipped another man.

"Private Leveillé what are you insinuating?" asked Kinh as he glared at the offending man. He had no problems with banter with his men... just not this early in the morning.

"Nothing sir...I just like getting on your nerves" answered Private Alexandre Léveillé with his best snarky smile. The tall Quebecer man had gone to the same high school as Kinh and had been good friends. Both had lost contact after finishing high school until Kinh decided to call up Alex for a beer. The timing was coincidental since Alex was about to join the army. Little did they know that they would end up in the same unit a few years later.

"Gentlemen could you just cut it out please? It's still kind of early in the morning for getting at each other's necks." It was a groggy Private Jean-Philippe Lévesque. He didn't appreciate being awoken by the rest of 3SON's antics. He was a 26 year old man that joined the army seeking a challenge that he thought college couldn't give him. He was part of those of 3SON that didn't know each other before the military. Jean-Philippe had quickly become friends with the rest of the section since he was a fellow nerd and somewhat of an otaku. This last trait was shared by Joël, Julien and Alex as well as other members of 3SON.

"Thank you Private Lévesque". One could hear the annoyance in Kinh's voice. That was the moment when everyone knew that the good lieutenant was getting sick of being on the end of their jokes.

"Sir, are we landing soon?" asked another man.

"Very soon corporal Moore." answered Kinh.

"Aye sir" answered the corporal before going back to sleep. Corporal Andrew Moore was the radio operator of 3SON. The tall dark haired Métis had joined the army after dropping out of college out of boredom. The man was a farmer's son that took no bullshit from anyone and didn't hesitate to use sarcasm to get his point through. Most of the time, he was a quiet, unassuming man. That set of traits earned him the friendship of the rest of 3SON when he was assigned there.

The lieutenant felt someone tapping on his shoulder and turned over his right side. It was Private Malika Abdelsaleem. She was one of the new members of 3SON that had been assigned a month before the start of the joint exercises in Japan. She was still getting used to her new unit but was getting along well. She was a refugee who had fled Syria early when ISIS was starting to brew trouble when she was 13 years old. Her family had been lucky but when they first arrived, there was a wave of racism and fear towards any refugee coming from the Arab countries. However, this didn't deter her from fitting in her new country and, much to the consternation of her parents, she joined the Army. She wanted to prove to the world that Muslim refugees were not the pigs that made up ISIS and had joined wanting to help those in need during moments like natural disasters.

"Yes Private Abdelsaleem?"

"I think we're landing in a few minutes"

"Thank you private, very much appreciated info" finished Kinh. ' _So much for extra sleep'_ he mentally groused.

"Hey gang, what do you think the Japanese will be like?" asked another female private. It the diminutive Private Alice Gagnon. The blond haired private was the shortest member of 3SON at 5'2. She had joined in order to prove to others that she was tough. She put herself under a lot of pressure during training to maintain discipline which earned the respect of her colleagues and was considered the best shooter in 3SON.

The rest of the group quickly started voicing different opinions about their Japanese counterparts. Kinh and Mathieu had kept silent, preferring to meet the JGSDF personnel before judging. After a few minutes of flight, the intercom on the C130 transport announced that they were landing at Yokota Airbase. Alex nudged another one of 3SON corporal in order to wake him up. It was Zachary Lavigne who was another friend of Alex and Kinh from their time in high school and an otaku to boot. He was a tanned skinned man who happen to be a tuba player for the Canadian Forces Orchestra.

 **Yokota Airbase tarmac, 1230**

The men and women of the Royal 22e Régiment were pouring out of the transport plane and gathering up their equipment after it was unloaded. It was a sunny day and the troops were in good spirits.

Major Alexandre Parent called out the order to stand at attention. The company immediately fell into parade formation on the tarmac as two representatives of the JGSDF and the United States Marine Corps came into view along with Marines and JGSDF personnel. The first man to speak was a stern, blue eyed bulldog American officer. He presented himself and started a short welcoming speech at a small podium.

"I am Colonel Robert Parker, Assistant Division Commander of the 3rd Marine Division. On behalf of the Marine III Expeditionary Force, I welcome you to Camp Fuji where our forces will work together for the next month. It is an honor for us Marines to work for the first time with Canadian Forces in Japan."

The second officer was a tall, brown haired man from the JGSDF. He had a neatly trimmed mustache and an aura of professional authority.

"I am General Kōichirō Hazama of the JGSDF's 1st Division. On behalf of the JGSDF, we are looking forward to our exercises with the Royal 22nd Regiment for our first ground exercises with the Canadian Army. This is truly a historical moment for both our nations since it we will work together for the first time since the establishment of our militaries. Thus it is with great pleasure that we welcome the Canadian Army to be on Japanese soil."

Some of the Canadians soldiers remembered the stories of C-Force, the Canadian detachment that fought the Japanese at Hong Kong in 1941 and how the fighting had been terribly bitter. How the Japanese soldiers had been brutal to the Canadians soldiers and nurses.

The fact that they were standing here listening showed just how much the world changed since the Second World War and how former enemies could put away their differences and work together. It gave hope for a brighter future with no wars. Of course, the Canadians weren't deluding themselves either. They knew they were here because of a new threat: a more aggressive China. Every man and woman present hoped that there wouldn't be an open war against the Chinese.

"At ease!" shouted Major Parent.

As the soldiers of the R22R put themselves at ease, they were instructed by their hosts to head to Yokota Airbase's main building. It was a large red bricked building with large windows where the Canadians could see their Japanese counterparts inside.

' _Here's hoping for a good first impression'_ thought Kinh as him and his men entered the complex. 3SON and him were at the back of the group. They were led to a large room by a JGSDF soldier where more Japanese troops where men from the different armies were already introducing themselves to each other.

"Sir, there's an officer that's not busy over there." said 3SON's medic, corporal Frederic Tremblay as he pointed a messy haired man standing next to a small woman.

"Thank you corporal. I think he's a second lieutenant though and that woman's a sergeant first class" answered Kinh.

 _'Damn, he looks kinda old to be that low ranking though'_ thought Kinh as he approached the two JGSDF members. He did his best to keep a serious face though. As 3SON came face to face with the second lieutenant, each member rose their right to salute the Japanese officer. When Kinh finished saluting, he lowered his hand and extended it towards the second lieutenant and presented himself using his most formal voice.

"Hello, I am lieutenant Kinh-Luyên Huynh of the Royal 22nd Regiment's 2nd Battalion of the Canadian's Army and these are the men of 3SON, Alpha Company."

"Hello, I am Second Lieutenant Itami Youji of the JGSDF and this is Sergeant First Class Shino Kuribayashi" answered Itami.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir. I hope that we will have the pleasure of working together over the next few months."

"The pleasure is mine as well."

"I'd like you to meet some of the men and women under my command."

Kinh then started presenting the men of 3SON that had followed him. As he finished presenting his subordinates, one of them asked Itami a question.

"Excuse me Lieutenant Itami, I don't know how to ask this but do you anything about good conventions that we can visit when we're off duty?" asked Joël.

Kinh's right eye briefly twitched.

' _So much for professionalism and looking good. God-fucking-damn Otaku'._ He looked at Itami whose expression was slowly changing and losing its serious facade. _'Crap...'_ Kinh began to massage his temples, trying to figure out a comeback.

"What kind of convention Private Côté?" asked Itami. His voice slowly was losing its professional tone.

"Anime, sir"

There was a wide grin that appeared on Itami's face when the Canadian private answered him that Kinh hadn't noticed.

"Well there's a Doushinji convention coming up in August around the 18th" replied Itami. At that moment, the otakus in 3SON high fived each other.

"Sir, you've made us very happy!" exclaimed Alexandre.

"Dudes, this is gonna better then the freaking Otakuthon" said Private Julien as he high fived Jean-Philippe and Zach.

"Tabarnak... I wish I had my Mei Com cosplay with me" complained Alice.

Itami didn't understand French but he did make out the words Otakuthon and Mei Com. He had to be dreaming. There was no way that he could have been lucky enough to meet so many Otakus in a foreign military.

"Excuse me but is anime popular in the Canadian Forces Lieutenant Huynh?" asked a hope filled Itami.

"Honestly I don't know Lieutenant but I think you've met just the biggest bunch of otakus of the R22R" sighed an exasperated Kinh.

 _'So much for looking good...the Japanese really don't like otakus...time to be a stereotypical Canadian'_ he thought as he straightened his back and tried to save his pride and dignity as well as the Canadian Forces' face.

"Lieutenant Itami, I'm terribly sorry about my men, they tend to get a bit too excited for their own good over anything related to manga and anime. Personally I can appreciate the occasionnal..." Before he could finish, Kinh was cut off by Itami.

"There's no need to be sorry Lieutenant Huynh... so are you guys all otakus as well?!"

There was a rather affirmative yes from the various members of 3SON with Kinh, Mathieu, Malika, Frederic and Andrew doing their best to stay professional. As Kuribayashi, she was struggling to hide a growing disdain for the Canadian troops. She was very unimpressed with how formal and overly polite the Van Doos lieutenant was...the fact that half of those that had accompanied were Otakus. How could a country have an army like that?

' _I wish could have met the Marines instead of these wannabees'_ she thought as she watched some of the Canadians soldiers and Itami discuss about the latest anime that came out while the others decided that it would be wiser to meet other JGSDF personnel. Her wishful thinking was suddenly interrupted by a woman talking to her. It was the Arabic private, Malika Abdelsaleem.

"Excuse me Sergeant Kuribayashi?"

"Yes?"

"How long have you been in the military? You don't look very old"

"It's been three years now"

"Three years? You must be extraordinarily good!" exclaimed Malika. She had never met someone so young that was a sergeant in the Canadian military.

"Th-thanks?"

"That's because our sergeants tend be older then you, like Sergeant Gagnon-Tremblay is 32 years old unless if they were exceptionally skilled" answered Malika. By now Kuribayashi was blushing and left wordless.

"I hope we get the chance to work together sergeant."

"Me too Private Abdelsaleem." replied Kuribayashi as she drew out her hand to shake the Canadian-Syrian soldier's hand. _'Maybe they're aren't so bad after all even if some of them are fucking otaku losers'_ she thought as she looked at the rest of the Canadians who were starting to get along with her colleagues.

The presentations between the Canadians and Japanese carried until later in the afternoon when the meeting was over. The Van Doos were carried by buses to the base at Camp Fuji. Most decided to take the time to catch some extra sleep during the hour or so of transport. Others were enjoying the sights as they saw the cityscape of Japan turn into magnificent mountains, lush green forests and rolling hills. It reminded some of them of their homes in Quebec. The Van Doos who came from the Laurentides region and the Monteregian hills could feel easily feel homesick as the land around them started looking more and more like the places where they grew up in. Even the soldiers who came from the city of Montreal and its suburbs couldn't help but remember fond memories of summer and winter vacations spent with family and friends in the countryside outside of Quebec's busiest metropolitan region as they saw the Japanese countryside unfurl itself before their eyes.

' _We're a long way from home guys but thank god we'll all make it back home in September'_ thought Kinh as he looked out the window of his bus. A certain serenity filled him as he enjoyed the sights before him. Before long, the Canadians arrived at Camp Fuji. They crossed the front gate where they could see a Torii gate with the United States Marines Corps logo on it as well as the American and Japanese flags flying from two great flagpoles.

The base itself was very simple. The buildings were made of white brick and there were roughly a dozen of these. The Canadians could see a few helipads with helicopters on them as well as a urban combat training site. On the other side of the street, they could see a Japanese base. Both camps laid in the imposing shadow of Mount Fuji.

Shortly after crossing the main entrance of the base, the Canadians arrived in front of the building they would stay in and started unloading their luggage and equipment as the sun started going down. They were welcomed by Marines who also helped them bring their belongings to their respective quarters in the base.

For the enlisted men of 3SON, they were staying in simple military dormitories. Bunk beds for sleeping, trunks and lockers for their belongings, nothing exotic for the men of the R22R. As for the officers, they had access to individual rooms with a small bed as well as a desk and small drawers.

After settling down, the Marines invited the Van Doos to share a meal together at the base's mess hall. Officers and enlisted men headed to their respective mess halls to get their food.

At the officer's mess, Kinh got himself a rather simple meal from the cafeteria booth that consisted of steak, mashed potatoes and peas as well a bowl of soup. He quickly got himself a seat in a corner before he started eating. Kinh also started observing the Marines officers, trying to get a general feel of his counterparts. There was something particularly different between them and the Canadian Forces officers. The latter had a certain stiffness to their auras and always tried to keep a certain serious facade even when they weren't around the enlisted men. Kinh could notice that the Americans were more laid back but the way their discipline showed was different. The Marines had a form of aggressiveness that reminded the Canadian lieutenant of a bulldog but was tempered and well controlled unlike the Canadians who had a more calm presence.

' _Welp, this'll be an interesting two months, these guys look like they don't fuck around'_ he thought. A voice snapped him out of his musings.

"This seat taken?" asked a Marine Officer. Kinh looked at the tall man. To start off, he was definitely taller and intimidating than him. The American had dark hair and light green eyes. He also noted that he was a lieutenant.

"Go ahead" he answered in his most formal voice as he straightened his back. "By the way, I'm Lieutenant Kinh-Luyên Huynh of the Royal 22nd Regiment's 4th Battalion."

The two men then shook hands.

"I'm Lieutenant Jimmy Foley, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment"

"Pleased to meet you Lieutenant Foley".

"You don't need to be formal 'round here. We're not with the enlisted you know?"

 _'Ok, so this guy is pretty relaxed'_ thought Kinh as he allowed himself to relax.

"Well old habits die hard...but when you lead men from a unit that has a royal title on it, you tend to be a bit stiffer". As he finished his explanation, Kinh couldn't help but chuckle. Foley couldn't help but laugh a bit. The two men carried on their conservation talking about their own experiences in the military as well as various topics (notably, they argued on who was the baddest sith lord?). Foley found out that the Canadians sent here were green since none of them had served in Afghanistan. The American revealed that he had never seen combat as well but some of his men did. They also bragged about their respective soldiers' s prowess and swapped tales. Very soon the two had struck the beginnings of a friendship. The officers mess was filled chatter from other tables as officers from both armies conversed and got to know each other as well as boasting and betting on their men's capabilities. It wasn't very difficult since the two armies came from neighboring countries that had good relations.

Meanwhile, the same scenario happened in the enlisted men's mess hall. There was more casualness though expected from the enlisted. Julien had gotten himself in an arm wrestling contest with a burly African-American private named Dick Johnston. Men from both sides were cheering on their friend.

"Kick that that fucking Frenchie's ass" cried out an American marine.

Upon hearing that, the Canadians got a bit more pumped and one of them shouting a colorful wave of Quebecer swear words (That are untranslatable to English).

"AWAYE TABARNAK ESTIE! CRISSES Y UNE ESTIE DE VOLÉE."

Julien left a mighty roar escape from his mouth as he slammed the Marine's arm on the table. Cheers could be heard from the Canadians while the Americans demanded a rematch. The Van Doos were about to let it go until the Marines gambled a free round of beers to the Canadians if they lost again.

Any self respecting Canadian from Quebec (Quebecer) has a part of himself or herself that simply cannot refuse any challenge if free beer or alcohol is to be rewarded to the victorious party. Two new champions were chosen to defend their army's honor and most importantly... to compete for fine ale. Unfortunately for the Canadians, after a few moments, the corporal they had chosen was soundly defeated by an American private. They swallowed their pride and accepted their defeat but promised a rematch. As for Julien and Dick, they were talking to each other after the second match.

"Bro...that was a good fight man" called out Julien as he high fived the Marine.

"Yeah man, can't wait for my free beer from you guys" answered Dick as he finished with a laugh.

"Well my good sir, you'll the finest beers that our brewers can make" answered Julien in his best fake British accent. _"Good thing we lost...we would have gotten shitty American beer"_ he thought as the drinker in him shuddered.

"Can't argue with that dude" chuckled the American.

Very soon though, it was time for the Marines and Van Doos to retire to their respective quarters. It had a been long but very fulfilling day that marked the beginning of many friendships and everyone retired to a peaceful night in Japan.

The next upcoming month would prove to be tiring but interesting.


	2. Chapter 1: Training in Japan

**AN:** **Disclaimer: GATE doesn't belong to me.** **As for the real life organisations, this is a fictional story written about them and a fictional world** **. This is written as a work of fiction for people to enjoy on the internet. Only the OC's are mine with the exception of Corporal Steven Grey Ryan who belongs to F14 Tomcat Lover, my beta reader who allowed me to use him in this fic. Some of my OC's are based off real people but with their consent. As always, I give my thanks to F14 Tomcat Lover for his beta reading and Faust 1812 for his advice on the USMC characters.**

 **With the legal things aside, I wish to avoid offending any Canadian/Québécois readers in regards to a discussion concerning the Quebec Independance movement. This is a fictional work meant for fun and not as a political statement on the question of Quebec's independance from Canada.**

Without further ado, here's a new chapter of GATE: Thus the Van Doos fought there! Enjoy your reading people!

 **GATE: Thus the Van Doos fought there!**

 _Chapter 1: Training in Japan_

 **June 22nd, Camp Fuji, 2300**

Major Charlotte Martins was looking at the tactical display screen of her Leopard 2A6. She was the commander of the _Lord Strahcona's Horse (Royal Canadian)_ armoured regiment's B Squadron that was sent over to Japan for training with the Americans and Japanese. She was currently leading her tanks in a joint night exercise between the three nations against the JGSDF's OPFOR unit. She could see on her screen that the three tank forces were working to outflank their enemy. The Americans were riding into battle with their M1A1 Abrams' while the Japanese were on their Type-90's.

The current exercises were proving to be interesting. Martins could see the difference between her crews, the Americans and the Japanese. The Canadians and American proved more aggressive then the Japanese. The allied forces were working on assaulting a "Chinese" defensive position that was formed like a coil with tanks and other light armoured vehicles. She still had a tank platoon that was heading up while her other units were engaging the enemy flanks. It was a good defensive position that would be prove tough to crack. The allied forces were already engaging the position from the sides. Martins however noticed a quickly forming kilometer wide gap in the center. no sooner than she did, her radio cracked to life.

"Command, this is Charlie platoon. We have spotted a large gap in the center of the enemy lines. They appear to be reinforcing their flanks. Permission to engage?"

"Charlie platoon, this is command. You have full permission to engage!"

"Understood!"

She quickly sent a message to her American and Japanese counterparts about the change in situation. The Americans reacted quickly by moving additional forces to attack the weakened "Chinese" center followed shortly afterwards by the Japanese tankers. Mechanised infantrymen were dismounting from their transports and began clearing the enemy position. The Canadian commander could look in satisfaction at her screen as Charlie Platoon's Leopard 2A6's opened fire into the enemy position as the infantry moved up. She couldn't help but smile proudly at her crews' work this night.

 **June 24th, Camp Fuji, 1000**

Kinh and the rest of Alpha platoon's officers were sitting in a classroom in one of Camp Fuji's building. He had chosen a seat at the back of the class and was staring sadly at an empty cup of coffee. For the past few days, they had been training with the Americans and Japanese. It had been busy and demanding for the men of the R22R but they pulled through.

' _What wouldn't I do for some of Timmies' french vanilla and chocolate donuts right now'_ he mentally wished as he struggled to stay awake. The JGSDF instructors weren't making this any interesting and he wasn't impressed with what they were showing so far.

Today, they were learning and training on American and Japanese weapons. For the Canadians and Americans, they knew what to expect from each other other's weapons since they were all AR variants or were common to both countries. Kinh remembered talking with Jimmy about their militaries' weapons and both came to the conclusion that they weren't learning anything new and would mostly have fun shooting their guns at the range. As the Japanese weapons, they were completely alien to both Marine and Van Doo.

Currently, the Canadians and Americans were waiting for the JGSDF instructors to finish presenting the Type-64 rifles' features.

' _Ta-bar-nak...thank god we aren't using that piece of shit that the Japanese call a rifle.'_ Kinh thought as he listened to the instructor's droning. He was finishing his explanation on how to fieldstrip a Type 64 and wrapping up things for the class. Kinh already knew he was not going to like this gun from what he heard about operating a Type 64. It already looked like a pain in the ass to fieldstrip and to reload. As the instructor finished the class, Kinh let out a sigh of relief. His left leg had spent half an hour shaking and he was two minutes from dozing off.

 _'Thank god this is over... I was about to fall asleep.'_ he thought as he and the other officers got up from their chairs. As they left the classroom, they were met up by a group of American officers. Kinh rapidly spotted his American counterpart, Jimmy Foley.

"How are you doin' bro?" greeted the American.

"Ah great...I just got out of a class on Japanese guns..." muttered Kinh. He didn't want to offend any Japanese in earshot.

"Know what you mean, that Type-64 of them? It's an absolute fucking piece of crap" whispered Jimmy as the two groups were heading to the armoury.

"Ostie... I'm not arguing with you man. Looks a cheapened FN FAL. Good thing the Japanese never went to war since '45...I pity the soldier who has to carry one."

"They actually reinforce those things with electric tape you know?"

"I'm not surprised. You saw the ridiculous selector switch eh? Safe-semi-hit target?" shuddered Kinh as the two men exited the building.

"Good thing they replaced them with the Type 89's. Heard they're better."

"Probably... I mean it can't possibly be worst. I heard that the reservists still have the 64's though."

"Sucks to be them" agreed both men.

"Enough talking about Japanese guns, you guys doing anything for the 4th of July?"

"We're thinking of having a barbecue and get some beer. Speaking of which, your boys still owe us drinks."

The two were now walking in front of a group of Marines which turned their heads upon hearing something about beer and owed drinks.

"Don't worry, you'll get them soon."

"There's beer at the PX you know?" argued Jimmy as the men walked towards an armoury to pick up the Japanese weapons.

"It's _American_ beer... which is an insult to beers everywhere."

"It's not that bad!" exclaimed Jimmy.

"Once you have proper beer, you'll understand what I mean" replied Kinh. His American counterpart couldn't help but clench his fists as he took insult at his taste in beer. At the same moment, a Canadian soldier saw them and saluted the two men.

"Lieutenant Huynh, we just got word from Major Parent and everything's here for tonight sir!"

"Really?!" exclaimed Kinh. He then turned to Jimmy as they continued towards the armoury. "Well looks like you'll get a taste of good Quebec beers tonight as well a good barbecue."

"What exactly is going on?"

"Today is Saint-Jean Baptiste day which is the national holiday for Quebec. Since we knew we'd be here, we planned ahead and got some good food and beer for tonight."

"Quebec? How can you guys have a national holiday if you're just a province?" asked Jimmy. Kinh then closed his eyes and started thinking how to explain this complicated fact.

"You see, Quebec has a different culture from the rest of Canada. We mostly speak French rather than English. This is because of the fact that Quebec used to be a French Colony until the British conquered it in 1759 from the French. After that and the American Revolution, the British started colonizing the rest of Canada and tried to stamp out the Quebecer culture. It didn't work and Quebec stayed very distinct from the rest of Canada on alot of things." explained Kinh as the two officers continued walking with the rest of their colleagues.

"Ok, so far I'm getting this."

"To continue, there's alot of Quebecers who wish to see Quebec separate from Canada due to this cultural difference. They tried doing it by force during the October Crisis of 1970 and by referendums." continued the Vietnamese Canadian Lieutenant.

"I guess they lost."

"Yup, but they managed to make it a law that considers today to be the national holiday of Quebec. Some people like me, even if they don't believe in independence still celebrate the culture and simply for the sake of drinking a shitload of beer!" exclaimed Kinh.

"Hah! I can't say I'm against that." chuckled the Marine lieutenant

"Also, for us Van Doos, we mostly celebrate our unique heritage of being a French speaking unit specifically raised for Quebecers in the largely anglophone Canadian Army at the beginning of the First World War."

"Huh, that's pretty interesting."

"Yup, that's also why the Canadian tankers won't celebrate with us tonight since they're from the western provinces which have a very bad history with anyone speaking French and probably don't know anything about Saint-Jean-Baptiste day."

"Do they have a holiday for their province?"

"Honestly, I don't really know. I know they tend to celebrate Canada day on July 1st though in the same way we do for June 24th."

As Kinh finished explaining, the group of officers reached the range where JGSDF soldiers were already waiting for them with Type 64's. There was also US Marines and Van Doos, including 3SON, standing there with their weapons. Both were not looking impressed with the JGSDF's Type 64. Mathieu looked at the Japanese firearms and remembered the old instructors that had served during the Cold War that he had when he was a recruit. He could still hear them gloat about how the FN C1A1 (Canadianised FAL) was a real weapon compared to the 'toy' that was the Colt C7.

' _Calisse...my old instructors would love how these things remind them of their old FALs no how cheap they look'_ he mused. Upon the arrival of officers, the enlisted men all saluted. Shortly afterwards, the JGSDF soldiers handed their American and Canadian counterparts their Type 64's for them to shoot.

The troops and officers spent half an hour firing the Type 64's. Many could appreciate the accuracy and low recoil but most couldn't help but dislike the cheap construction of the gun and certainly didn't like having electric tape reinforce their gun. They also a sort of competition of who could hit the most targets at the range. As the training finished, an American officer, Captain Horner, decided to call out a friendly contest to prove which army had the best shooters. The Van Doos and Marines gave back their borrowed Type-64's to their Japanese counterparts before retrieving their C7A2's and M4/M16A4's. At the same time, Captain Horner explained the rules.

"All right ladies and gentlemen, the rules are simple. Each army chooses a shooter. That shooter gets 30 shots. Targets are at 500, 300 and 100 yards. Twelve targets, hit as many as you can." he explained before wishing "Good luck fellas!"

"What's the prize sir?" asked a Marine.

"Winner gets free beer and a barbecue courtesy of the two loosers" proposed another Canadian officer. The Americans and Canadians shouted their approval at this while the nervous Japanese stayed more reserved.

The Americans chose a Latino Corporal named Martinez. He confidently stepped up to the shooting range with an M16A4 with an ACOG while his colleagues cheered and spurred him on. Martinez started firing at the four targets at 500 yards with seven rounds, hitting two of them before moving on to the targets at 300 yards. The four targets quickly went down with five shots. The target at 100 yards were easy pickings for the Marine which he shot with four well placed shots.

Next up was Japanese private Maki who was armed with a Type-64. If one looked closely, the man was clearly unsure of himself as he stepped up to the shooting range. He went through ten rounds before hitting any of the targets at 500 yards. He fared somewhat better when he got to the 300 yards targets hitting two of them after expending seven rounds. He managed to hit the last target using six rounds.

The Canadians weren't too sure about who to send until Kinh designated Alice Gagnon. The diminutive private quietly got up to the range as her colleagues looked upon her confidently. The Americans were surprised to say the least at the Van Doos' choice. She didn't look like much but there was some kind of quiet confidence in her eyes yet her face remained expressionless. As she fired her C7A2, the enlisted Van Doos, Marines and JGSDF all had their mouths wide open. She was doing just as good as Martinez and tied with him! The officers of the three armed forces were looking at each other, trying to figure out a solution for this turn of events. They couldn't redo a tiebreaker yet since they would be running behind schedule for the rest of the day's activities. One of them, a Canadian lieutenant, had the idea of holding a later tie-breaker between the Americans and Canadians before the end of the joint exercises to which his counterpart.

Before the three armed forces split off their own ways, the Van Doos officers invited their Japanese and American counterparts to a feast later that evening to celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste day. The Marines were especially happy when the Canadian officers announced that they had received the beer they were owing. The Van Doos, on the other hand, were happy that they could celebrate a part of their own heritage despite being far from home.

It would be a memorable night for them all.

 **June 24th, Camp Fuji, 1900**

Lieutenant Jimmy Foley was making his way over to the Canadian part of the base. He could hear loud, happy shouting though he couldn't understand what they were shouting.

 _'Probably French'_ he wondered as he saw his fellow Marines heading over to the party. He could smell the scent of various meats being cooked over barbecues as well as fries. There was also a smell he couldn't identify.

As he reached the Canadian part, he could hear the Van Doos sing in their native language. Jimmy could also see steaks, hamburgers, pork chops and chicken being cooked on barbecues. There was also Americans as well as few Japanese who were enjoying the Canadian's beer and food. He then heard someone call his name.

"Hey Jimmy, come over here dude!". It was Kinh. The man looked very happy and could be seen holding a can of beer in his right hand as he stood next to a table. As Jimmy got closer, he could see a half-eaten hamburger lying on a plate and a bowl next to it.

"Happy you could make it man. Gotcha a beer too" greeted Kinh as he handed a can of beer to Jimmy. It was a blue and white can with a polar bear on it.

"Ahh... Boréale Rousse, my favorite beer!" exclaimed the Canadian officer as Jimmy opened his can. After a quick sip, he could understand why Kinh despised American beer.

"It's pretty good man but what's the empty bowl for?" wondered Jimmy.

"That's for my poutine." answered Kinh as he got up from his seat to rush to a group of Canadians, Americans and Japanese waiting around a food booth with Jimmy following him.

 _'That poutine thing of his must damn good if he runs like that for one'_ thought Jimmy as he ran after Kinh. He could see his fellow Marines as well as curious JGSDF soldiers lining up alongside the Canadians to see what exactly was a poutine. As the Canadian cooks began serving the waiting men, one could hear some of the Marines swearing as they drooled at the meal in front of them.

"Bruh?!" shouted a Marine.

"You Canucks are awesome!"

"You can throw meat on that!?" exclaimed another Marine. "I'll have mine with smoked meat, bacon and sausages!"

When Jimmy saw what exactly was a poutine, he was pleasantly surprised to say the least. It was fries with cheese curds and brown gravy poured over them. It looked absolutely decadent and fattening. Exactly the kind of food that Marines loved. Some of them were already engaged in a contest of just who could throw on as many ingredients into their poutine and finish the monstrous meals they created against the Canadians.

As the troops had fun together, this was turning out to be a good evening for everyone as they laughed, bantered and enjoyed happy times together. For the Van Doos, it helped them cope with homesickness as a small part of home was with them right now. The party drew to a close later that night and the troops bid each other good night as they stumbled drunkenly back to their barracks. The Americans promised a party for the 4th of July and vowed to outdo the Canadians.

 **July 20th, Camp Fuji, 0000**

Corporal Steven Grey Ryan was definitely not enjoying this moment. The US Army soldier was participating in a night time combat exercises with the Canadian Army, JGSDF and US Marines. He was currently in a trench with the rest of his platoon. They had been tasked with holding a forested hill against a 'Chinese' force for two days. Unfortunately for them, their reinforcements had been diverted elsewhere due to the hill being located in a calm sector and two days became ten.

' _Calm sector my ass'_ thought the American corporal as he checked his ammunition. He was starting to run low after repelling constant attacks for the last eight days. The unit holding the hill had taken heavy casualties and lost half its men as well as all forms of communications.

It certainly didn't help for morale that the trenches were being swept by heavy rain and wind. The good news was that the rain had forced the 'enemy' to cease their attacks on Ryan's position. At least, it was supposed to.

"Shit!" swore Ryan as he heard the bushes behind his position move. He immediately swung his M16A4 around. ' _Infiltrators'_ he thought grimly as he feared that the 'Chinese' had penetrated his lines.

"NOVEMBER!" called out a voice from the bushes. ' _What the? Reinforcements?'._

"ECHO!" shouted back Ryan. Suddenly, he could hear people speaking in a different language and a group of soldiers stood up from their bushes. They were wearing digital relish-like green uniforms instead of the Marines' MARPAT or the Army' UCP. He could see small green flags on their right sleeves. Their faces were covered in green camstick and their helmets had various bits of foliage stuck in netting. ' _Canadians? What are they doing here?'_ He knew that the Canadians were training with him but they were supposed to be assigned to another sector to support the JGSDF troops.

"Sergeant Mathieu Tremblay-Gagnon, we're from the Canadian R22R!" spoke their leader.

"Happy to see you sir."

"Pleasure's all mine Corporal?"

"Ryan sir, I took over this squad after my sergeant went down" answered Ryan. He saw the Canadian sergeant turn around to talk to one of his subordinates in French. He could understand some of what they were saying.

"Mister Moore, call up the lieutenant and tell him we found another squad. The rest of you get some good cover. Tremblay, go help out the wounded with Gagnon and Léveillé. I want the MG's to have a good position to cover the slope in front of us." ordered the freshly arrived sergeant. Ryan noted that their French sounded less stiff and less elegant then what he learned about the language.

"Right Corporal, we're here to reinforce your position since it's the only thing guarding our left flank." explained Mathieu as his men started taking up positions with the Americans in the trenches and foxholes.

"Can't say no to that sir." replied the American corporal. Two another soldiers came out of the bushes. One of them began talking to the Canadian sergeant before turning to Ryan while the other appeared to be a radio operator.

"I'm Lieutenant Huynh, Corporal Ryan I presume?" said one of the newcomers, an Asian man wearing the Canadian uniform.

"Yes sir!"

"Good job on holding this position for the past few days" praised the Canadian officer as he shook Ryan's hand.

"Thank you sir!" answered Ryan. He suddenly heard a voice calling out and saw Kinh's head turned towards the source.

"Estie! We've got some Chinese trying to sneak up the hill sir. Crisse... y'en a en tabarnak du Chintock!" shouted a Canadian C9A2 gunner. _'Now that's fucking strange swearing. I don't remember hearing that in my French classes'_ mentally noted Ryan as he saw the Canadians ready themselves for the Chinese onslaught.

"Thank you M. Lavigne." As Kinh finished saying this, he turned his head back to Ryan.

"Command informed me that the Chinese are mounting another attack here and that just confirmed it. They don't know if the Chinese are aware that you just got reinforced." stated Kinh. He started to smile.

"Let's give the Chinks a good welcoming surprise!" finished the Canadian lieutenant before turning to his subordinates to give them orders. Ryan could only smile and nod in approval at this as he saw his remaining fellow Americans readying themselves alongside the Canadian infantrymen.

 **August 11th, Camp Fuji** , **1900**

Mathieu and 3SON were taking cover by the side of one of Camp Fuji's training buildings. Alongside them was a squad of American Marines. They were training in close quarters assaults and teaching the Japanese some of their tricks. This was his battalion's specialty and he was good at it. Right now, they had flanked an enemy held building which was pinning down allied Japanese troops.

Mathieu gave the signal to his men and the Americans to start their assault. Very quickly, the men broke down the door as Malika threw in a training grenade. Rapidly, the Canadian and Americans began clearing the rooms as roars and automatic fire filled the grey building's rooms. 3SON had made good progress as they made their way to the second story with Jean-François in the front. They had orders to take out an enemy machine gun nest installed on the second floor while the Marines kept the first floor secured.

After climbing the ruined staircase, 3SON came up into a long hallway with various rooms on each side. At the end of this hallway, they could hear the sound of a machine gun firing. Alice and Joël quickly cleared the first room on their left before being met up by the rest of their section. Mathieu quickly peered out from the now secured room before seeing an enemy emerge from a room further down on the right side of the hallway.

"Tabarnak, that was too close" he grunted as the shots kept ringing out.

He quickly dove back into cover as shots were fired and narrowly missed him. He readied a grenade before sending his deadly present into the enemy held room. After the 'explosion' went off, Mathieu ordered Alexandre and Zach to clear out the room. As the last enemy was dispatched, 3SON's men prepared to take out the enemy machine gun position. The defenders were acutely aware of the Van Doos' presence and were firing into the hallway trying to prevent their advance. Mathieu quickly ordered Julien, Alex and Moore to ready some grenades into the enemy's position. The three men threw their grenades at the same time and three small explosions rang out as 3SON roared and charged guns blazing into the machine gun position.

The enemy was lying 'dead' as the Canadians roared into the room and secured it. Meanwhile, the pinned down allied troops breathed in relief as they saw the machine gun successfully silenced by the Canadians and could understand the Van Doos' formidable reputation as soldiers after this display of martial prowess.

 **August 18th, Camp Fuji, 1020**

Today was a big day. The Americans and Canadians had agreed that today would be their marksmanship rematch and had invited the JSDF to come watch. The three groups were led to a shooting range in Camp Fuji by the local personnel around 9'o clock. As they arrived, they saw the two champions that were chosen by the Van Doos and the Marines. Two corporals who had proven themselves as being the best shooters of their units.

Amongst the attending Japanese, there was Sergeant First Shino Kuribayashi who had come. She had kept in touch with her new found friend in the R22R, Malika Abdelsaleem and wanted to see her again. She had also heard the incredible story of the Canadians tying with the American Marines during a shooting contest at Fuji. The same contest were her fellow soldiers had been humbled by the foreigners' martial skills.

"Hey Shino, is that you?" called out a voice. Kuribayashi turned around and saw Malika amongst a group of Canadian soldiers.

"How are you doing Malika?"

"I'm doing good. I can't wait to see who wins the free beer and barbecue."

"Yeah me too" answered the Japanese soldier. "I was actually surprised about the score though."

"Well, you know that a Canadian sniper used to hold the world record for long range shooting" explained Malika. "He shot a Taliban at 2.4-2.5 km with his sniper rifle back in Afghanistan in 2002."

"That's incredible!" exclaimed Kuribayashi. She had certainly not expected to hear that. She had always thought it was the Americans who held that record. She wondered what the three armies who doing in their joint exercises.

"So what have you guys been doing?" inquired the Japanese woman.

"You mean during the exercices?" Kuribayashi nodded her head. "Some combined arms, forest combat and the battalion's specialty: close quarters assaults."

"CLOSE QUARTER ASSAULTS?!" screeched the Sergeant as she heard this. She would have loved to do some with the Canadians and Americans. Some of the soldiers around them turned around and wondered what was going on. Malika was taken aback upon hearing this. She couldn't understand her friend's outburst and was slightly intimidated..

"Hum yes? We've been practicing them with the Americans and you guys. We learned a lot as well" nervously replied Malika.

"It's just that I'm actually a close quarters specialist. I actually got the JGSDF's Hand to Hand combat badge."

"Really? It's a shame you couldn't have been with us. I could have learned a few tricks from you."

Meanwhile, in another section of the crowd, an American private and a Canadian one were enjoying a healthy dosage of banter.

"Bro...I can't for my free beer and smoked meat from you guys. Got anymore of that ' End of the World' beer of yours?" teased Dick as he gave a good slap on Julien's back.

"Fuck you man, I'm getting some good-ole American T-Bones from you guys. But since I'm a nice Canadian, I'll let you keep that horrible piss-tasting excuse you guys call beer" shot back Julien as the two continued having a good time waiting for the competition to start.

As for the officers, they were exchanging pleasantries as they enjoyed the warm summertime weather. Kinh was getting a lot of attention because it was his birthday as well.

"Well Lieutenant Foley, this is one of the best birthdays I've ever had" chuckled the Canadian officer. "Good weather, shooting competition, free food and free beer."

"Don't be too overconfident Lieutenant Huynh" jested his American counterpart. "The boys haven't started."

"I got a good feeling about today you know? So don't fucking jinx it!"

"I don't think World War III's gonna start today...it's too much of a good day for that."

"Don't fucking jinx it man! It's my god fucking birthday ok?"

"There's a bigger chance of dragon riding Romans attacking Tokyo today" joked Jimmy. Kinh couldn't help but laugh at this.

"Estie man, you got way too much imagination" chuckled Kinh as he watched the two contestants ready themselves.

' _Can't wait to see our man kick some 'Murican ass'_ mused the Van Doo officer. His musings were interrupted when an alarm went off.

"Heille TABARNAK! What the fuck is going on?" swore Kinh. Everyone around was clearly confused as to why alarms were going off.

A voice came over the base's intercom. "Tokyo is under attack! I repeat Tokyo is under attack! This is not a drill! All Canadian, American and Japanese personnel are to get ready for combat immediately!"

The troops and officers were cursing in three different languages as they headed for their barracks and armouries to ready themselves for battle. Tank and vehicle crews were doing quick checkups on their machines while their armourers and maintenance crews were topping off fluid levels and loading up ammunition. In less than five minutes, the Canadians and Americans were mounted up and ready to go into battle. Just what had happened?

 **USS** _ **Gerald R. Ford**_ **, 600km south of Tokyo, 1025**

35 year old Captain Dennis Archer of the RCAF was enjoying a good cup of coffee while sitting in one of the USS _Gerald R. Ford_ 's pilot lounges. He and his squadron mates were chosen amongst the Canadian fighter pilots to train on Canada's new CF-188E Super Hornet that had been acquired under Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister of Defense Sajjan's current term.

With troubles brewing in the Pacific, it had been decided by the Liberal government to equip the RCAF with new fighters and due to exploding costs and troubles, the Canadians pulled out from the F-35 Lightning II project that the former Harper administration championed. Instead, the Liberals chose to buy new CF-188E Super Hornets in order to replace Canada's aging CF-188 Hornets. It was a wiser decision since it would be easier to retrain pilots and maintenance crews on the new aircraft. In addition, plans were made to train RCAF pilots to launch from American carriers in order to allow Canada to support her allies in case of a war in the Pacific.

Thus, 24 pilots from No. 409 Tactical Squadron and No. 433 Tactical Squadron were stationed on the USS _Gerald R. Ford_ for the past two months. During these two months, they had been training with the US Navy and Marine Corps pilots as well as befriending each other.

Today however would be a quiet day for the Canadian and American flyboys. Besides the usual air patrols, most of them would enjoy a nice relaxing day on board the floating airport that was the USS _Gerald R. Ford_.

Captain Archer could see the various pilots in the lounge enjoying their day. Some were enjoying a late breakfast while chatting with their colleagues. Others were writing letters home and while a few were watching TV and reading good manga or books. ' _A relaxing day for everyone'_ thought the Toronto pilot. No sooner he finished this thought, an alarm rang out and the intercom went live.

"EMERGENCY COMBAT LAUNCH! THIS IS NOT -I REPEAT!- NOT A DRILL! THIS IS REAL PEOPLE!"

The various pilots sprang into action and began running out of the pilots' lounge. There was very colorful swearing in French and in English that could be heard.

"OSTIE DE TABARNAK!?" called out Captain Louis-Philippe Lamarre, a CF-188E pilot from No. 433 Tactical Squadron as he ran to the pilots' quarters to collect his flight suit. He was running alongside his Toronto colleague, Captain Archer.

"Hey Archer, you have any fucking idea of what the fuck is going on man?" asked Lamarre between breaths as they ran in the activity filled hallways of the super. carrier.

"No idea Frenchy, maybe the Chinese or North Koreans decided to start a shit show?!"

"Fucking shit, ostie de tabarnak, they could have waited another fucking day...urgh" cursed the Québécois pilot. The two men made it to their quarters before throwing on their flight suits and helmets. They then made their way to a briefing room through the crowd of personnel rushing to their stations and readying for battle.

The briefing was short and simple with both American and Canadian pilots attending. Tokyo had fallen under attack from an enemy that appeared from a strange gate that appeared in the center of Ginza District. The American and Canadian forces had received full authorisation from the Japanese Prime Minister's office to aid the defense of Tokyo. Ground forces were already mustering for battle and needed air support since they were facing a vastly numerically superior force.

As for the enemy, first reports indicated that they looked like Roman legionnaires and cavalry accompanied by creatures straight out of a fantasy world like trolls, orcs and goblins. They were already butchering Japanese civilians as well foreign tourists. However, the thing that interested the most the pilots were the enemy dragon riders.

"Excuse me sir but can our Sidewinders and AMRAAM's lock on to them?" asked an US Navy pilot.

"A pair of Japanese F-4's has already successfully engaged some of the enemy's 'winged' assets outside of Tokyo with missiles and cannon fire before expending all their ammunition. It appears that dragons aren't immune to missiles and don't evade very well heat seeking or radar guided missiles." explained the commander.

' _A great big turkey shoot'_ thought many pilots at that moment.

"According to early reports, the enemy has a very large amount of 'winged' assets with roughly 400-500 bandits flying above around Tokyo."

' _The greatest turkey shoot in the history of mankind then'_ mused many pilots. Some of them were already wondering if they were going to become aces that day.

The commander finished his briefing shortly after. The Hornets and Super Hornets squadrons would clear the skies and ensure air superiority alongside the JASDF's fighters squadrons while other aircraft would be tasked with providing close air support.

The USS _Gerald R. Ford_ had become buzzing with activity as her crew began to launch various fighters towards a besieged Tokyo. Loud roars could be heard as combat aircraft were launched from the carrier starting at 1045. The first to launch were the Americans Hornets and Super Hornets. Afterwards, it was the Canadians' turn. The 24 CF-188E Super Hornets pilots would be the first Canadian pilots to launch a combat mission from a carrier in the history of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Little did the fighting men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, JGSDF and US Armed Forces know that today was a beginning of a new chapter in human history.


	3. Chapter 2: Battle of Ginza

**AN:** **Disclaimer: GATE doesn't belong to me.** **As for the real life organisations, this is a fictional story written about them and a fictional world** **. This is written as a work of fiction for people to enjoy on the internet. Only the OC's are mine with the exception of Corporal Steven Grey Ryan who belongs to F14 Tomcat Lover, my beta reader who allowed me to use him in this fic. Some of my OC's are based off real people but with their consent. As always, I give my thanks to F14 Tomcat Lover for his beta reading and Faust 1812 for his advice on the USMC characters.**

 **GATE: Thus the Van Doos fought there!**

 _Chapter 2: Battle for Ginza_

 **August 18th, Itami Youji and Risa's apartment, 0950**

 _'Today is a good day!'_ thought Itami as he set out from his apartment. He was heading to the Summer Doushinji Convention after managing to get a day of leave from the JGSDF. To make things better, it was one of those warm sunny days with birds singing everywhere and not a single cloud in the sky. Itami was howeverentrusted with a mission of the utmost importance by some of his new friends in the Canadian Army that he had made over the past few months. He had been trusted with their money to buy them some anime merchandise as well as a highly detailed list of just exactly what they wanted. ' _These guys are pretty serious about what they want!' Can't say anything against fellow otakus' wanting some good loot'_ mused Itami as he went over the list that his friends in 3SON gave him as he walked towards the subway station near his home.

 **August 18th, Ginza District, 1015**

For many people, today was a normal day. Japanese employees were going to work in the various companies in Tokyo while families were out shopping in the various markets, stores and malls of the Japanese capital. There were also many tourists from all over the world who were vacationing in Japan and were enjoying the sights. Some were anime fans and planned to visit the Summer Doushinji Convention in Ginza district. People were enjoying a good summer day by going out to parks and making the most of a fine sunny day.

On one of the most crowded streets, a mysterious structure shimmered into existence and began to take shape. It was a massive gate whose architecture was reminiscent of a Roman archway. Various Japanese and tourists began to converge towards it. Some of them pulled their smart phones and cameras to take pictures. Suddenly, a creature flew out of the gate.

"Shit man, a dragon" shouted an American tourist to his friend as they took pictures of the scene in front of them. The sound of footsteps could be heard as silhouettes began emerging from the gate. A collective gasp could be heard as the bystanders began taking and uploading photos to social media. A tour bus even stopped so the passengers could see what was happening.

"Is this from a movie?" asked rather excitedly a Canadian tourist standing on the opposite side of a street to a Japanese tour guide.

"No, I don't really know what movie this is" nervously answered the guide. As she finished speaking however, another two dragons followed, each with a rider on top of it. More shocked gasps could be heard. Another group of more adventurous people got closer to the mysterious building and started taking selfies.

As they moved away, men clad in ornate roman like armour emerged from the gate carrying shields and ancient weapons like spears, swords and bows. There was also various anthropomorphic creatures like pigmen, trolls as well as beings like orcs and goblins. Various people could be heard exclaiming about the scene unfurling before them.

"Whoa this looks bloody amazing for a movie mate" called out a British tourist to his friend.

"Anyone knows when's this coming out?"

"Crikey, this looks better then Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit."

"The Japanese really know how to hype stuff" exclaimed another bystander.

All the amazement was short lived as horns and drums sounded out. The newcomers' bowmen released their arrows at the bystanders as the various creatures roared and charged into the crowds with the Roman-like soldiers following them. At the same time, the dragons returned and began attacking the fleeing inhabitants. Some were caught in the beasts' mouths and thrown aside while others were speared by the creatures' riders. Policemen were doing their best to defend the civilians as they fired their pistols into the oncoming hordes and called for help. The streets of Tokyo were rapidly becoming a chaotic nightmare as more and more invaders came from the mysterious gate as people ran away as fast as they could.

 **Canadian Embassy, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 1030**

Ambassador Gregory Atkins could barely believe what he was hearing from one of his aides. Tokyo had fallen under attack from an unknown enemy that appeared in Ginza, 5 km from his embassy. His staff was already preparing to evacuate the building.

"Sir, our evac should be here soon" informed one of his guards. The ambassador looked out his office's window and saw various civilians running towards the embassy. He could also hear the sound of an approaching army. To his horror however, a massive dragon-like creature with a rider on its back swept down from the skies and began attacking people. A man was caught in the beast's maw and thrown like a ragdoll into a nearby building. Another guard came into his office, clearly out of breath.

"Sir, our transport has been delayed. The flying creatures have made it difficult for it to arrive" he reported as he caught his breath. "We also have civilians who are coming inside."

"Shit!" swore Atkins. He needed a plan and decided to sit in his office chair. As he massaged his temples to try to come up with an idea, the ambassador noticed a file. It was the one concerning the Canadian Forces training in Japan.

"Get me Prime Minister Shinegori's office on the phone NOW!" he commanded. As his assistant dialed the Japanese Prime Minister's office, Atkins could hear his guards' weapons fire as they fought to defend the Embassy and the people inside.

 **Sōri Daijin Kantei, Tokyo, 1035**

Prime Minister Shinegori was rapidly packing up his things. The Japanese capital was under attack and he and his personnel were being evacuated to a secret location. As the lion-haired prime minister prepared to exit his office with his staff, the phone rang.

"Should I pick it up M. Prime Minister?"

"Yes" ordered Prime Minister Shinegori. The secretary answered the phone and after a quick greeting, she turned her head to Shinegori.

"It's the Canadian Ambassador sir! He wishes to speak to you very quickly"

Prime Minister Shinegori nodded and the woman handed him the phone.

"Of course Ambassador Atkins! Any help your country can give will be appreciated!" exclaimed the Japanese leader. "I thank you on the behalf of the Japanese people!"

The prime minister then hung up the phone and looked to his waiting staff. Some were looked very impatient to leave.

"The Canadian ambassador has asked if his troops in Camp Fuji and his pilots on the USS _Gerald R. Ford_ could help us. Make the necessary arrangements to contact them as we leave!"

One of the members of the staff quickly dialed an emergency line to the JSDF's headquarters and passed the phone to Shinegori. He quickly gave a series of short orders to his commanders before hanging up. The prime minister and his staff then left his office quickly. As they did so, they could see through the windows that there were dragons flying in the skies above Tokyo.

 **Skies above Tokyo bay, 1145**

A dozen Imperial dragon scouts were flying in formation over the sea. They had been ordered to scout the area around this strange city that the Gate of Arnus Hill led them to. Other groups had been dispatched around the city to explore this new land. It was indeed a wondrous place for the Imperial forces since the people living here had built great towers of glass that reached the clouds while the perfectly paved streets were well ordered with strange metal poles with wires attached to them. The city was also filled with many strange luxurious goods that was ripe for looting. Truly, this land had great artisans that could be used to make the Empire's treasury swell and make its cities even greater.

There was also no walls to stop the Imperial troops from advancing and few fought back. All these goods had made the people of this land soft and complacent. None carried swords or shields and everyone fled before Imperial might. There were a few mages dressed in blue and black clothes with strange wands that had killed a few legionnaires here and there but they were rapidly overwhelmed.

However, unknown to the Imperial scouts, they were headed straight towards a flight of nearly 50 Hornet and Super Hornet fighters from the _USS Gerald R. Ford_. In the cockpits of the Canadian and American fighters, pilots were receiving updated information from one of the USAF's 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron's E-3 Sentry. The estimate of 400-500 dragons was rapidly climbing to 900-1000. As for friendly assets, the Hornet pilots were getting word that the four carrier borne fighter squadrons would be joined by an additional four land-based squadrons. The JASDF's 6th and 7th Air Wings were already engaged with the enemy dragon riders while the USAF was launching its 44th and 67th fighter squadrons from Okinawa.

(Ambient music: Battle of Britain main theme)

"Tally ho boys!" called out Captain Archer as he saw multiple radar signatures appear on his radar screen. A small tone sounded in his cockpit indicating that one of his AMRAAMs had locked on to one of the enemy flyers. "Permission to engage?" he asked through the radio.

"Permission granted Crossbow leader!"

"FOX 3" answered Archer as he fired off an AIM-120 AMRAAM. The missile left his fighter's wing with a mighty roar. In a few seconds, other fighters had launched their deadly payload as well.

Some 60 km ahead, the Imperial dragon scouts were continuing their scouting mission. As they prepared to turn tail, the riders heard a deafening roar. Their leader could see what seemed to be a fire arrow heading towards him. He immediately had pulled on his mount's reins to turn away but it was in vain.

To the horror of the dragon scouts, a mighty magical fire arrow had emerged from beyond the horizon and destroyed their commander with horrifying ease.

' _What terrible witchcraft is this?'_ was the thought that went through the mind of the second in command of the group. His thoughts were brutally interrupted as he saw his fellow riders being destroyed in midair by this strange magic that came from nowhere.

' _What horrors have we awakened?_ ' wondered the man before he and his mount was consumed by this terrible magic.

Meanwhile, Captain Lamarre smiled in his cockpit as he saw another blip disappear from his radar screen of his Super Hornet. They had completely annihilated a group of dragon raiders with great ease.

' _Christ...never thought that my first kill would be a dragon'_ mused the pilot as he and the rest of the Hornets and Super Hornets flew towards Tokyo.

 **Imperial Palace, Tokyo, 1300**

Itami's fun day off was officially ruined. Instead of enjoying a Doushinji convention, he was working with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to protect civilians from an enemy army that looked like it came from a fantasy world.

 _'Fuck you bastards for ruining the summer convention'_ he mentally cursed as he gave orders to the police officers and other defenders. He had already managed to get the police to allow civilians entry into the palace. Of course, the Emperor had given the final authorisation to so. The palace defenders were doing their best to keep the invaders at bay but their foe had numbers on their side.

"Incoming!"

Itami dove for cover as another volley of arrows was released at him and his improvised force of policemen, SWAT Teams and surprisingly, British Royal Marines. The Royal Marines were guarding the British Embassy which was right next to the palace. They had transferred into the Imperial palace after the Embassy staff had evacuated there. The British soldiers were doing a good job of keeping the legionnaires at bay due to their military weapons. Suddenly, a roar was heard from the skies as a group of dragons began to dive towards the palace from high altitude.

"Bloody hell, the wankers have bloody dragons!" cried out a Royal Marine

"Well fire at them, you useless tossers!"

Itami and the palace defenders shifted their fire towards the diving monsters. As they did so, missiles slammed into the dragon riders, sending them crashing into the massed ranks and deafening roars filled the skies as jet fighters roared above Tokyo. Another man ran up to Itami.

"Excuse me but do you have a spare weapon?" demanded the newcomer. He was a light brown haired blue-eyed man wearing an bloodied American uniform.

"You from the US Army?" asked Itami.

"Yeah, I'm Corporal Steven Grey Ryan, 25th Infantry!"

"We can use your help allright. I think the British can spare you a weapon" pointed out the Japanese man. Ryan ran over to the British who handed him a blood stained L85A2 assault rifle. After a quick check, he started pouring fire into the approaching hordes.

 **Segataya Park, Tokyo, 1330**

The sound of combat vehicles could be heard as Canadian troops from Camp Fuji arrived. The park had been turned into an improvised command post and assembly area for the Canadian, Japanese and American forces counterattacking against their mysterious enemy.

It was an absolute nightmare for the mechanized troops and armoured units to get to the assembly point since the roads were choked with people fleeing the attack. The helicopter born units were being delayed until the skies were cleared of enemy activity. A comforting fact for the advancing Canadians, Americans and Japanese troops was the sight of enemy dragons being knocked out of the skies by the combined air power of three military forces.

Kinh and his platoon were disembarking from their G-Wagons jeeps and LAV-III transports. They headed over to the company's command post where Major Parent was waiting with his staff for a short and updated briefing.

"Already ladies and gentlemen, we have some more information on what's going right now." briefed the major. "The enemy we are facing appears to be carrying swords, spears and large wooden shields. We haven't encountered anyone with anything better then crossbows and bows. They also have cavalrymen. As for artillery, we've seen catapults and ballistas. Any questions so far?"

"Sir, are you actually sure this isn't some kind of convention gone wrong? We're in Japan after all" joked one of the other Canadian lieutenant.

"No Lieutenant Bureau, now does anyone have _real_ questions?" asked the irritated officer. Seeing as there was none, the briefing continued.

"Our current objective is to push towards the Canadian Embassy and secure our people there. We'll have reinforcements from the _Royal Canadian Regiment'_ s (RCR) 3rd battalion coming in soon once the enemy's dragons are neutralized. According to intel, the dragons are no match for allied air assets or our LAV III's 25mm cannons so don't worry about them."

As his superior continued briefing, Kinh was mentally noting his orders. He was to take his platoon into battle and be part of the east side of the Canadian counteroffensive and push to the Embassy.

 _'Happy birthday Kinh! Fucking morons couldn't have waited another day?'_ he mentally sighed as the briefing and he got back on his G-Wagon with his driver and Corporal André Brisebois as his dedicated radio operator (pronto).

"Happy birthday sir!"

"Thanks Brisebois, I wish Foley didn't jinx it though. Man said that there was a better chance that dragon riding Romans would attack us then World War III starting. Now look what's going on." complained the Vietnamese-Canadian Lieutenant as they drove into battle.

 **Tokyo Airspace, 1400**

In the skies above Tokyo, a scene worthy of legend was unfurling. Jet fighters were fighting waves of dragon riders for control of the skies.

 _'Fighting...I can't call this fighting. Estie a fucking turkey shoot'_ thought Captain Lamarre as he weaved his Super Hornet through the skies of Tokyo trying to lock onto his next kill. So far, every missile he fired had claimed a victim, the dragons being no match for modern air to air missiles and M61 Vulcan cannons. Even the Japanese and American attack helicopters were destroying the enemy's winged assets with absolute impunity. So far, they had encountered many different kinds of dragons. Some were small fast ones with one rider while larger ones carried baskets with two archers or spear throwers. As his squadron streaked towards the ground zero of the enemy attack at Ginza, he could see another group of fighters up ahead launching missiles against a trio of the larger dragons, destroying them with ease.

Meanwhile, Captain Archer's group was engaging dragons flying towards the Imperial Palace.

' _Just how many goddamn dragons do these guys have?' We've been shooting goddamn flying fish in a barrel for the past shitting hours'_ he wondered as his fighter dived onto a group of panicked dragons that were trying to flee towards the outskirts of Tokyo. A tone rang out in his cockpit confirming another missile lock.

"FOX TWO!" called the Captain into his comms as he fired an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile. Shortly after, another dragon fell from the skies.

The comm channel was filled with the American, Canadian and Japanese pilots' calls of "Fox Two!" and "Guns. Guns. Guns!" as they cleared the skies of Tokyo of the enemy.

 **Ginza Gate, Ginza District, Tokyo, 1400**

The Imperial commander, Lord Tiberion was beginning to sweat nervously as his underlings began their reports. The day had started very well for his 60 000 men strong army as the Gate of Arnus led him and his troops to a magnificent endless city of glass towers filled with bountiful loot that lay barely defended. They had already captured hundreds of the inhabitants for the slave markets of the Imperial cities such as Saderna and Italica. He had been looked forward to buying new concubines and servants from this exotic land. His troops' followers had already begun setting camp for his army with their wagons placed on the well paved streets. The wagons were placed in rows that went from side to side of the roads.

Unfortunately, he had gotten a very rude awakening an hour ago when he discovered why his dragon scouts had failed to return from their mission. He had initially thought that they had gotten overenthusiastic as they discovered more riches and flew further then they were supposed to. Unfortunately, the real reason were great metal birds who used magical arrows and rode on fire that killed his dragons with impunity. Lord Tiberion has discovered when one of his larger dragons had been destroyed and fell from the skies before his very eyes in front of the Gate, crushing men and creature auxiliaries beneath it.

Now as he listened to his subordinates' report, a feeling of dread was rapidly filling him.

"My lord, our cohorts have surrounded the enemy emperor's palace but their weapons are keeping us at bay for the past hours. They have destroyed our siege engines with their war birds and iron pegasi but our ogres and trolls are trying to smash the doors. They are taking heavy casualties from the enemy's mage soldiers" reported one.

"The dragon rider squadrons are being destroyed by the enemy's war birds. They are too fast and their magic arrows outrange anything we have my lord."

"Order them to retreat!" ordered Lord Tiberion.

"My lord, we have captured what seems to be small palaces for our enemy's vassals. They were filled with the liege nation, Ja-Pan, and vassal nations' citizens who cowering from us. We've captured one of the vassal nation's banner." said another subordinate as he held up the banner for Tiberion to see. It had two vertical red bands and one white band in the middle. What Tiberion noticed was a bright red leaf in its center.

"According to the prisoners, this is from the land of Ka-na-dah. We took the palace but others are resisting us. There is one that the guards are holding our men back. It has a flag with many stars in a blue corner, red and white stripes." added the man. He then pointed to a group of slaves being escorted by Imperial Legionnaires. "Those slaves are from the palace of the vassal nation of Ka-na-dah."

The freshly taken slaves were very varied in appearance with some being fair skinned while others had darker skin that the Imperials were certain were Dark Elves. There were men, women and children of various ages. Lord Tiberion smiled at this.

"They will make good slaves for the Imperial courts." stated the commander. Just then, another horse back messenger arrived, clearly distressed.

"My lord, I bring urgent news from the centurions and cohorts in the south of this city! They have been engaged in battle with the enemy's army."

"Are we having success?" asked Tiberion.

"Alas my lord, I only have ill news. It appears to be _three_ armies of battle mages who fight alongside horseless chariots and iron elephants who crush everything in their war! The iron elephants throw great balls of fire from their snouts that even our mightiest creatures cannot withstand while their mages' magic are destroying entire cohorts with ease." explained the man between breaths.

As he continued, Tiberion wondered just what was happening as the messenger added that his Imperial legionnaires were unable to even get close to the new coming battle mages. Yet he had hope for these new comers were nowhere near as numerous as his forces. He was confident that these men would get bogged down against the sheer numbers and might of the Imperial Army. He ordered his men to concentrate their efforts on the enemy leader's palace. Once it fell, the Empire could force the enemy to surrender. Either way, their cowardly use of magic rather than proper weapons like shields and swords would be their undoing against the Empire.

If only he knew how mistaken he was...

 **Minato-ku ward, Tokyo, 1415**

The Canadian soldiers of the R22R were fighting with fury in their hearts alongside the veteran Leopard 2A6's of the _Lord Strahcona's Horse (Royal Canadian)_. They had arrived at the Embassy only to find in flames and with the dead or injured of the embassy guard littering its rooms. The flag had been stolen by the enemy. Their mission had just been updated and they were now tasked with linking up with American forces who had finished breaking the siege of the American Embassy before rescuing the trapped people at the Imperial Palace. Officers were running from section to section to provide leadership while their men were stopping the enemy legionnaires' advance. Their shield walls and testudos were proving absolutely useless against the Canadian weapons.

Kinh and his pronto were running from squad to squad and as he reached 3SON, another cohort turned the corner of the street. However, it stopped and a man, presumably their leader stepped forward confidently. This shocked 3SON who, against common sense, stopped firing as well. He wore ornate purple armour with a long deep red cloak. His red plumed helmet was gleaming in the sun. He began to bash his sword on his shield and yelled taunts and insults at the Canadian infantry, perhaps trying to goad one of them into an honor duel.

Mathieu stood up from behind a car that covered with a grim determined look on his face and stepped forward. With contempt in his eyes, he made a few steps forwards... before shooting the enemy leader three times in the chest with his C7A2.

"HEILLE CALISSE DE TABARNAK! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU IDIOTS DOIN'?! OPEN FIRE." before getting back to cover. The enemy cohort was momentarily shocked at seeing their centurion being slain in such a dishonorable fashion. The shock wore off as they tried to fight back but were gunned down by the Canadian infantry and tanks. As they advanced towards their new objective, Mathieu passed by the dead centurion and spat on his corpse.

"Crisse de moron" (Goddamn moron)

 **American Embassy compound, Minato-ku ward, Tokyo, 1445**

American and Japanese military personnel were loading up on ammunition and preparing to break the siege of the Imperial Palace. They had been successful in relieving their embassy and were using it as it a staging base for the push towards the Imperial Palace where the main bulk of the enemy army was.

Lieutenant Jimmy Foley was doing a quick check up on his M16A4 when he heard a familiar voice call to him.

"Foley estie...This ain't World War III ehh?" sarcastically said Kinh.

"Shaddup...just shut the fuck up man"

"Sorry...it was too easy."

"Dumbass Canadians...always apologizing for everything."

"Eh, what can I say? That's why everyone likes us unlike you yanks"

"Idiot" groaned the American lieutenant. Before the two men could continue their conversation, they were interrupted a radio message ordering back them on the offensive.

"Anyways, did you hear what these fuckers are doing?" asked Kinh as both men began getting back to their respective units.

"Depends, these jerks having being doing lots and lots of shit we can nab them for."

"Lots of nice casus belli...they've been kidnapping people left and right!"

 _'Ca-what now?'_ wondered Jimmy.

"Yeah, I heard that already... some Marine sergeant and his boys in one of the other platoons shot a bunch of them and saved some Japanese civies."

"Welcome to Earth motherfuckers!" exclaimed Kinh as he high fived Jimmy before heading back to his men.

The infantry remounted their fighting vehicles while various types of helicopters flew towards the Imperial Palace. The skies had been cleared by the might of three modern Air Forces and the enemy was now feeling the pain. Jets were now doing close air support missions while American and Japanese attack helicopters were providing support to advancing ground troops.

 **Imperial Palace, Tokyo, 1500**

The exhausted palace defenders were looking at the enemy massing in front of them. The defenders had repelled waves of enemy attacks but were starting to run low on men and ammunition.

A tired Itami and Ryan were checking how much ammo they had left and it didn't look good at all.

"Damn it, we've only got two mags each left for our rifles" complained Ryan.

"This is not good at all... we'll be fighting these guys in hand to hand if we don't get reinforcements" stated Itami.

"Shit, we won't last long against them!"

A familiar whistling came through the air...mortar shells! A barrage of them crashed into the invading army's ranks as the familiar sound of helicopters came over the Imperial Palace. Itami and Ryan looked to see attack helicopters from the JGSDF and US military protecting transport helicopters bearing American, Canadian and Japanese insignias. Men from the three armies fast roped into the palace gardens before taking up positions on the walls whilst other helicopters landed, bringing in reinforcements, ammunition and first aid for the embattled defenders. The enemy army was taking fire into their right flank from the combined firepower of Abrams, Type-74's, Type-10's and Leopards 2A6's and their supporting infantrymen.

A man wearing dark green camouflage walked up to Itami and Ryan. Upon seeing the American corporal's uniform, he started talking to him.

"I'm Captain Mark Anders of the _Royal Canadian Regiment's_ 3rd Battalion and what is your name Mr.?"

"I'm Corporal Steven Grey Ryan, US Army's 25th Infantry Division!" answered Ryan as he saluted the man. Captain Anders then turned to Itami.

"Sir, I'm going to have ask you to leave with the rest of the civilians as well. We'll take it from here!" he ordered. Itami drew his wallet from his pocket.

"I am Second Lieutenant Itami Youji of the JGSDF's 1st Division!" As Itami presented himself, his right hand also rose to salute the Canadian airborne infantry officer.

"Captain Anders, Lieutenant Itami Youji here took command of the Imperial Palace's defense. He has shown great initiative and leadership in the past hours despite the odds." reported Ryan.

"Really eh? Very well then, we will be renewing our ground assault in a few moments. Lieutenant Itami and Corporal Ryan, we need every available fighting man and woman so take a few moments to rest and fall in with the advancing group forces"

"Yes sir!"

Meanwhile, near the Imperial Palace, Kinh and the rest of his platoon were engaged in battle against their enemy. They were facing a horde of various creatures ranging from orcs, goblins, trolls to pigmen as well as enemy footmen. Various orders and shouts could be heard from the Canadian ranks. An ogre armed with the remains of a streetlight led a beastmen charge towards the advancing Canadians.

"OGRE, 12'o clock!" called out a Canadian soldier.

"Hit it with the Carlo!" ordered an adjutant to a weapon team. The Carl Gustav 84mm recoilless rifle team quickly went through their firing procedure before firing a HEAT shell, reducing the ugly creature to a messy pile of gore while 3SON had taken cover behind abandoned cars and was being charged by various beastmen and were cutting them down with ease. The beastmen surrounding it were horrified as they were showered by ogre bits. What kind of unholy magic did their foe command? The monstrous infantry barely had time to recover that they were met with HEAT shells, shattering entire ranks of men with terrifying ease.

"I'll make some fucking good bacon out of you mon ostie!" shouted Julien as he gunned down a charging group of pigmen with his C9A2 alongside his comrades. LAV-III infantry fighting vehicles and Leopard 2A6's could be heard firing as their powerful weapons poured into the enemy forces and cutting them down while the infantry advanced using fire and maneuver tactics against the rapidly collapsing legionnaire ranks. The enemy started retreating towards their assembly point at the mysterious gate of Ginza.

 **Ginza Gate, Ginza District, Tokyo, 1530**

The Imperial army's retreat had degenerated into a rout as legionnaires, horsemen and auxilia were running away from the three enemy forces bearing down on them. Lord Tiberion and his aides were running themselves ragged as they attempted to rally the forces but to not avail. They tried waving their banners as well the captured flags from the enemy vassal nations to restore morale and confidence but the panic had engulfed the retreating men. The fresh units that had crossed over from Arnus had ran into the routing men and chaos ensued as discipline collapsed in the makeshift camp that Tiberion's men and their camp followers had assembled in the area around the Gate.

The surgeons and their assistants were having a terrible time trying to heal all the wounded men that came in. They had never seen such horrifying wounds being inflicted on so many men in such short order despite being veterans of many campaigns. The majority wounded had their flesh pierced by small metal projectiles that sometimes went through both sides while others had larger chunks of sharp metal lodged in them. The worst were those whose limbs and flesh had been brutally torn off by the enemy's war beasts' fire snouts. The sounds of battle were drawing closer as Lord Tiberion managed to place his few remaining cohorts to block off the various streets leading to his camp. He rode with his personal guard towards one of his forward most cohorts in the center of his lines.

To make matters worse, the wagons placed on the streets were impeding his troops' movements, preventing them from rapidly marching into battle and the camp had fallen into panic with legionnaires refusing to fight. The officers' slaves were causing trouble as well as some tried to flee or rebel against their overlords. Those that rebelled were being put down by Tiberion's men.

As he drew closer, he could see some of his men fleeing in front of him while green clothed sorcerers threw magical bolts from black thunder staffs which felled his legionnaires with ease while a green monster of metal with a massive snout turned its head towards his fleeing troops. A deafening sound reached the Imperial commander's ears as he saw his men being shredded by the roar of the metal beast. He froze in horror at such a sight.

"My lord, what would you have us do?!" asked one of his panicked guards.

"My lord? My lord?"

"Run you fools! Get back to the camp!" ordered Tiberion as he spurred his horse back to the camp in a desperate attempt to organise a makeshift defense. The remaining legionnaires still holding the front heard this and interpreted as an order to retreat which rapidly turned into a disorganised rout. As the Imperial forces in the center collapsed before the retreating Imperial commander's eyes, he could see his flanks retreating in disarray towards the Gate and the sound of the enemy's battlemages' magic cutting them down.

After a brief ride in which half of his personal guard were struck down by the enemy, Tiberion finally reached his chaos filled camp. Men were pushing each other, desperately trying to flee back to Alnus rather than being mercilessly slaughtered in this world. With the Imperial army's discipline collapsing, the surgeons and their aides were unable to do anything to evacuate the wounded and resigned themselves to carry on with their duty instead of abandoning their fellow men.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Jimmy Foley and his infantry platoon were amongst the lead elements of the American forces routing the invading legionnaires. They were supported by a platoon of USMC M1A1's from Camp Fuji. As the Marines advanced through the streets, they could see the enemy's assembly point and the chaos gripping it. Enemy discipline had collapsed in the face of modern 21st century firepower. Foley could make out a group of enemy horsemen clad in elegant battle armour bearing a standard being led by a leader with a red plumed ornate helm. The leader was in Foley's M16A4 sights and the lieutenant shot him clean off his horse. The horsemen, probably his personal retinue, were barely able to comprehend the death of their leader before being killed by fire from their flanks. The radio cracked to life.

"All units, be advised, allied forces have reached the flanks of the enemy base camp and are prepare to enter. Orders are to proceed with caution."

Upon hearing this, Foley and his men quickly reloaded their weapons before resuming their advance into the camp. The enemy no longer offered resistance but they took their time, making sure that no could get the drop on them. As they entered the camp, the bodies of the wounded, dying and dead littered the streets on which it was assembled while their agony filled the American soldiers' ears. They could see the Canadians and Japanese cautiously walking through the camp as well.

As the modern soldiers walked towards the strange gate, they could see tents with stretchers and wounded men waiting around it as well as women and children staring in horror at the scene unfurling before their eyes. More men emerged from the tents, some wearing aprons and carrying what seemed to be very primitive surgical tools. The men were clearly terrified as some fell to their knees, seemingly to beg for mercy in an unknown language. The weeping women held their children close them with some having some of the legionnaires standing between them and the Americans.

' _Poor bastards'_ thought Jimmy as he looked at the scene. Some of his men were looking at the scene with pity and their eyes, not knowing what to do.

He was surprised at the amount of women and children inside the camp. They were too horrified at the might of modern firepower to react. He could understand why some of the remaining enemy legionnaires placing themselves between the women and children. _'Probably their families, what are they doing here?'_

It was also shocked him to see various people in chains. More shockingly was how some of those enchained were part human, part animal. He could see traits of various different animals on these people. Some lay dead and they looked as if they tried to fight and escape but failed. They were petrified, fearing what fate the soldiers of this world would offer them.

' _Slaves...goddammit these bastards really want their asses whooped.'_

Very quickly, the Marine lieutenant contacted his superiors to inform them about the new developments. Orders for the three armies were to proceed with caution to secure the camp.

Meanwhile, Kinh and his platoon were going around the camp. As he walked near the front entrance, he noticed a group of fallen riders in ornate armour.

' _Probably an elite unit or something...what the?"_ His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a pair of flags lying on the ground next to one of the corpses of the dead riders. There was a purple and gold banner with a dragon behind some kind of golden cross and dragon wings forming on it. Kinh however saw something far more familiar and interesting, the Canadian flag from the shattered Embassy.

"Well I'll be damned!" exclaimed the Van Doos lieutenant as he picked up the flag. It had looked like it been clearly ripped off from the flagpole. He made a quick sign for his radio operator to hail command and inform them of the good news. As he finished, he saw Jimmy heading towards him with his Marines.

"This is fucked up shit man." said the Marine officer after greeting his Canadian friend.

"Hell yeah... these bastards came out of a fucking gate and started killing everything in sight. I still have trouble wrapping my mind over killing these assholes you know?" sighed a tired Kinh.

"They maybe be bastards but dammit, they're still human beings. My guys found that butcher's shop these Roman wannabees have for a field hospital... good thing the Geneva convention exists" shuddered Jimmy after seeing how primitive "surgery" was for their enemy.

"Aye, wouldn't be surprised. I did study history eh? But hey, look what I found on this guy". Kinh pointed at the dead enemy leader before showing Jimmy the Canadian flag. "At least, they didn't get the satisfaction of keeping our embassy's flag. It's shame we didn't get there in time."

"We'll make those fuckers pay for everything they did today" promised Jimmy.

"Well man, I hope so and I hope, Lieutenant Jimmy Foley, that our countries do so toge...Why the hell is there a Japanese civilian carrying an L85 rifle around here?!" blurted out the Canadian officer as he pointed a weary man wearing shorts and an orange T-shirt with a battle rig over it that was leaning on one of the enemy's tents. He was standing with another blond haired man wearing the US Army's uniform. Kinh and Jimmy decided to go over and see. As they drew nearer, they could pick blurbs of the two men's conversation.

"Man, my convention got wrecked" complained the civilian.

"You mean the Summer Doujinshi one?"

"Yup, this sucks"

"You betcha...assholes couldn't have waited another day to invade?"

"Fucking shit, my Canadian friends'll be mad once they hear this" groaned the Japanese man.

Kinh immediately recognised the complaining Japanese man.

"ITAMI? Man calisse, what the fuck are you doing here?" asked Kinh. He then looked at the US Army soldier. "Didn't I meet you somewhere already?"

"Yes sir! Training exercise at Camp Fuji, I'm Corporal.." He was cut off by Kinh.

"Corporal Steven Grey Ryan, I remember you now. Huh... this is one of hell of a birthday."

"Happy birthday!" wished both Itami and Ryan at the same time.

"Thanks boys! Mucho appreciated lads." answered Kinh before presenting Jimmy to the others. "By the way, this fine gentleman and Marine here is Lieutenant Jimmy Foley." The three men quickly shook hands and presented themselves to each other before returning to the task of fortifying the area around the Gate.

 **Ginza Gate, Ginza District, Tokyo, 1700**

The American, Canadian and Japanese troops had finally locked down the mysterious gate and the area around it. A formidable defensive coil had been erected around it with barbed wire and sandbags positions were manned by ground troops. Tanks and another vehicles had moved into position with weapons pointed at the entrance ready to strike down anything coming from the other side. Meanwhile, the skies had been secured by the might of modern jet aircraft. The three countries' tired soldiers were preparing to be relieved by their colleagues. Kinh, Jimmy, Itami and Ryan were talking to each other about the longest day (so far) of their lives. Suddenly, loud cheering could be heard. Japanese civilians were coming to thank the heroes that had saved Tokyo and were throwing bouquets of flowers and various items to the soldiers guarding the gate. Reporters were filming and taking photos of the scene. Someone had brought up American and Japanese flags. The troops knew what to do. A Canadian Leopard 2A6, a USMC M1A1 Abrams and a Japanese Type-10 drove in front of the Gate with the infantry gathering in front of them. Kinh got on the Canadian tank whose commander, a woman in her 40's, had emerged from the commander's hatch and proudly held the recovered Canadian flag with him whilst Ryan and Jimmy stood on the Abrams and were holding the American flag. Meanwhile, Itami had followed suit on the Type-10.

' _Ostie...what a birthday'_ thought Kinh as he descended from the tank and got into his G-Wagon that took him back to Camp Fuji with his men. He was being relieved for now. After unloading his equipment at the armoury and making his way to his quarters, the exhausted man collapsed into his bed. There was a nagging feeling he forgot something very important. He would find out very soon what it was...

 **August 18th, Huynh Residence, Laval, Québec, Canada, 0700**

A short dark brown haired woman with thick glasses was preparing her tea before readying herself for work. She opened her television to watch the morning news on LCN. The headlines made her heart stop.

 _'Special programming: Tokyo under attack! Heroic Canadian Forces intervene! Great Victory!'_

The news commentator was reporting how a strange portal, gate like structure emerged in the Ginza district before a Roman-like fantasy army emerged and attacked the Japanese capital, inflicting massive damage and taking hundreds of hostages. The Canadian Embassy had been captured and its staff killed. The elderly ambassador had succumbed to his injuries while those seeking shelter in its walls had been taken by the enemy. While the women thought the situation was terrible, she was more preoccupied about the military deployment. However, to her relief, the militaries of Canada, Japan and the US had saved the day and driven back the enemy with no losses. She blew a sigh of relief upon hearing this. She then saw the pictures of the troops raising their flag in front of the gate and immediately recognised the smiling Canadian soldier proudly standing on the tank.

"MON TABARNAK! OSTIE DE CALISSE DE CRISSE DE TABARNAK! DE TOUS LES... TABARNAK OSTIE POURQUOI LUI OSTIE?! POURQUOI IL FALLAIT QUE ÇA SOIT LUI CRISSE?"

Her yelling had alarmed another woman, this time an elderly Vietnamese woman with greying black hair who came down from her bedroom. She was clearly not expecting to be awoken in such a fashion and didn't understand why her daughter-in-law was shouting this early in the morning. Her face morphed into an expression of horror as she looked at the proud Canadian soldier standing on the tank as she cried out in Vietnamese as she recognised her oldest son.


	4. Chapter 3: March to war

**Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 _Chapter 3: March to war_

 **August 23rd, Camp Fuji, 1900**

 _'Fucking shit'_ mentally groaned Kinh as he sat in his bed. ' _Fucking Roman wannabess'._

It had been a week since what the media referred to as the Ginza incident. For the troops, it had been long days of hard work in clearing any remaining enemy resistance and fortifying the area around what the media dubbed the "Ginza Gate". Kinh could finally enjoyed some rest and was waiting for Jimmy to meet him before going to the PX and fetching themselves some good cold beer even if it was American beer.

"Wonder what's everyone saying about us?" he asked himself as he picked up his smart phone. He hadn't had time to check his messages and the news but luckily, he had made sure to keep his phone charged though he didn't turn it on for the past seven days.

"AWW TABARNAK!" he shouted as he saw that he had missed half a dozen calls and various unread messages from one person in particular. He immediately started to think what to say to his beloved but bad tempered and overprotective wife as he began dialing his home number.

Jimmy was wondering around in the Canadian officers' barracks as he was looking for Kinh. He was supposed to meet Jimmy at the main door but there was no sign of him. The Marine lieutenant decided to ask some of the Canadians if they had seen his friend. After talking with a few of them, he got directions to Kinh's quarters.

After climbing a quick flight of stairs and going a hallway, Jimmy could hear someone speaking in French and recognised Kinh's voice. Judging from the tone of voice, he was trying to reassure someone that was clearly worried. Jimmy decided to wait for the Canadian officer to finish. After a few moments, a sigh of relief could be heard and as Kinh emerged from his room.

"Sorry I kept you waiting man, had a bit of an emergency." apologised Kinh as the two men walked down the hallway and began making their way to the PX.

"No probs, the hell's going on?" asked Jimmy.

"The wife" chuckled tiredly Kinh. "Marie didn't appreciate finding out that I got in an fight in the middle of Tokyo on television and she didn't _certainly_ didn't appreciate me not calling her back soon."

"Didn't know you were married man. So what kind of gal did you get hitched with?"

"Gimme a sec, I'll show you" answered Kinh as he pulled out his phone and went through the photo album. "There we are!" he exclaimed as he showed Jimmy a picture of he and his wife. The picture itself was very simple with it being simply Kinh, wearing the Canadian Forces' green dress uniform standing next to a short, brown haired woman with glasses dressed with a black dress. Kinh then began telling his story with her.

"That adorkable shorty with a temper is Marie Duguay-Delorme. We met a few years ago at the UQÀM in one of our classes because I showed up late and couldn't find a place at the back of the class to hide the fact I like sleeping in classes." He finished his sentence with a light chuckle before continuing. "First place I found was next to hers in the middle of the class. I remember asking her if she could keep me from falling asleep in class."

"Idiot."

"Ehh, that's exactly what she said. I remember laughing a bit cause I was so brain dead from all the midterm papers I was writing. The rest is well, pardon a historian's craptacular humor, history." Kinh laughed before his mood darkened. "I miss her you know? I was supposed to go home next week but orders came in and we're staying here for who knows how fucking long." He sighed. ' _The joys of military life'_

"Know how you feel bro, I was supposed to go State side in mid-september and see my gal again." quietly said Jimmy. He couldn't help but share the feeling of missing his special lady and his home in San Francisco.

"Really? Can I see what she looks like?" asked Kinh curiously. Jimmy drew an old leather wallet from his pants and showed him a old picture of a tall athletic redheaded woman.

"My girlfriend Annabel. We've been together for five years now and our anniversary's next week."

"Youch...sorry man." Kinh couldn't help but feel guilty at reminding his friend and how far he was from his loved ones.

"You Canucks apologise too much you know that? It's ok man."

"Okaydoo... so how did you end with her, bro?"

"That my good man, is a story best told around some good beer!"

"As if there was any good beer around here." stated Kinh with a snort.

"Idiot" grumbled Jimmy before slapping Kinh behind his head. The two continued on their way towards the PX to fetch some beer before heading to the Americans' quarters. Upon arriving, the two officers could see the enlisted and officers from the United States and Canada enjoying their free time together. Some Japanese had even come over to try and befriend their North American counterparts. Surprisingly, Itami was there as well as Ryan. They were chatting with a group of Canadians and Americans about anime and manga. As Kinh saw this, he couldn't help but have faith that they would prevail.

"Heh... I think we'll win this one" he whispered to himself.

 **Office of the Prime Minister, Langevin Block, Ottawa, August 25th, 1700**

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was finishing up his day's work. The past week had been nothing short of hectic after the Ginza incident. Due to the crisis, Parliament was preparing to assemble an emergency session to decide what course should Canada take. The prime minister was confident that he could easily have his way since the Liberals were enjoying a majority government.

Yet at the same time, elections were coming soon and Trudeau knew that this was no issue that he could easily sweep under the rug. While his government did lead Canada in a prosperous time and enjoyed popular support, his political opponents from the Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party were itching to have anything that could discredit his party. He would have to be careful with his decisions in the upcoming times.

In the following hours after Ginza, Trudeau was stuck in between a good and a bad place. The bad thing was that the Canadian Embassy had been overrun and damaged with its ambassador, staff and guards gone. Countless tourists had been injured, killed or, according to reports, captured and enslaved. The opposition was already attacking the government over the lack of security for Canada's embassies in foreign countries. It wasn't the first time either in Canadian history that governmental buildings were attacked. Like always, fingers were being pointed at those at the head of the Canadian state for neglecting security and those in power had to defend themselves.

His opponents in the Conservative Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party (NPD) advocated a more cautious intervention. The Conservatives argued that wasteful Liberal spending coupled with intervention would cripple Canada's economy while the NDP wanted to limit operations to avoid another Afghanistan and the scandals surrounding the Canadian military in the aftermath as well as destabilising a whole order world.

On the other hand, the report that Minister of Defense Harjit Sajjan and his ministry produced about the Canadian Forces' intervention brought good news to the Prime Minister. The new CF-188E's and their pilots had proven themselves in defending the skies above Tokyo while the ground forces showed their supremacy over the enemy with no casualties amongst them while annihilating their opposition. This was good news for the fledging modernisation programs of the armed forces that Trudeau intended to promote for the next elections and that had proven their worth at Ginza.

Public opinion in Canada was favorable to retaliating across the Ginza Gate. It wasn't surprising after the casualty reports started coming out to the public. Sensationalist pundits were more than happy enough to enflame the television screens and radio stations about how Canada should join in any retaliation and a good part of the public wanted retribution while images of the grieving families of the dead and missing were used by the media and various groups to push for intervention. The media was attacking the government over perceived sluggishness in the aftermath of Ginza. There were still those who wanted the troops back in Canada and avoid another Afghanistan. Protests were staged by various pacifists groups asking for a more diplomatic solution instead or outright neutrality in the upcoming conflicts. Some were showing images of war-torn Kandahar to build public support and push their pacifist agenda while claiming that such reprisals would lead to another ISIS. The pacifists remained marginal but it would take a small scandal that could be blown out of proportions. Both sides were throwing very thinly insults at each other on national television.

The invaders still left the Canadian Prime Minister perplexed along with the rest of the world's leadership. Just how was it possible for a such a structure to appear out of nowhere in the middle of a bustling metropolis. More importantly, could such a structure appear anywhere else with the same effect or worst? The prisoners weren't of much use so far due to the language barrier. They appeared to speak something that was similar to Latin yet not exactly, as if it was an offshoot of that largely forgotten dialect. The linguists and intelligence services were still working on figuring out how to translate it but were confident in their capabilities of translating it and adapting it to the modern alphabet.

The Ginza prisoners were another source of questioning. According to reports, the counterattacking troops fought their way into the enemy's assembly area. They had captured entire families who had followed their husbands and fathers into the battle. More alarmingly, they had found slaves which had been brought along. This information meant bad news for the captured foreign tourists and Japanese citizens who had been taken to the other side.

Prime Minister Trudeau looked over his notes that he and his aides had taken over the past few days. He started thinking about his choice of words for his next public appearance as he began to prepare his speech and how would he outmaneuver the opposition parties in Parliament Hill.

 **Camp Fuji Mess Hall, August 30th, 1900**

Private Julien Leclaire was currently laughing his ass off at his table after a long day of training with the Americans and Japanese.

"Ostie de tabarnak! Hey guys, come check this out" he shouted as he continued to watch a Youtube video on his phone. Soon more personnel amassed around him to see what was causing him to laugh so much.

"Oh this is rich!" exclaimed a Marine.

"Calisse...how can you be that retard?" exclaimed a Van Doo in French.

"The fuck that French Canuck guy say?"

"Man, what a nutjob."

"What the hell is that...oh my god wark!" mocked Mathieu. As it turned out, Julien had stumbled on a Youtube video channel whose author was claiming that the Ginza Gate was a sham created by the American government working for the New World Order and that it was all a hologram and that the troops were acting the battle and the dead were actually killed by the military.

"Dumbass lady...pretty sure that ugly ass troll-ogre I nabbed with my 203 wasn't a hologram." muttered Dick as he looked half-disgusted and half-disbelieving.

Not far from there, Kinh was enjoying his fresh rations with Alex and Andrew. He wasn't very surprised at the whole situation and didn't bother wasting his precious breath to comment on the subject. It reminded him too much of a former loony colleague at one of his many student and summer jobs he had before joining the military. Instead, he preferred chatting about their day.

"So how was your day dudes?" he asked them.

"Pretty good. Food's better than last night. Americans know how to do some fucking good close quarter fighting" answered Andrew between bites of food. "The Japanese can use some work but they're willing to learn."

"Pff yeah right, that idiot First Sergeant Kuribayashi got herself killed again in the last exercise." complained Alex.

"Quessé qu'elle a calissé encore?" asked Kinh. (What the fuck did she fucking do again?)

He already had an idea where this was going.

"She decided to charge screaming across an open street with her bayonet on. Elle s'est fait calisser une crisse de volée par les Marines." (She got a fucking good asskicking by the Marines.)

"Urgh, ostie d'amateur" (Goddamn amateur) muttered Kinh before taking a sip of his orange juice. "Anyways, besides paperwork for me, I've been watching the news."

"Anything interesting sir?" asked Andrew.

"Turns out the U.N. ain't too happy about finding out these idiot Roman wannabees have slaves."

"Ben kin mon estie!" exclaimed Alex. "What do they want to do?"

"They want to send a U.N. task force on the other side. Guess what? "

"We're leading the charge." stated Andrew as he took a bite of his food."

"Nothing's official yet but I think we're going in with the Americans and the Japanese. Trudeau's been playing up P.R but nothing's confirmed yet. We're getting new top of the line stuff though." continued Kinh before taking a sip of his glass of orange juice. The men knew what that meant.

"Any idea when though?" asked Alex. "Crisse...my girlfriend won't be too happy urgh."

' _No shit Captain Obvious!'_ mentally remarked Kinh.

"Well, it took us four months before being sent to Afghanistan from Canada so I'd reckon it'd be faster since we're already here. Wouldn't be surprised if JTF2's already over here and preparing to wreck some fucking Roman ass though."

' _Those poor bastards'_ thought amusedly Kinh.

 **Narashino Garrison, Chiba District, August 31st, 2300**

A group of non-descript trucks were making their way through the gates of the Japanese Special Forces Group's base. For the past week, they had been secretly carrying in men and equipment from various nations in preparation of a large scale special operation against the enemy on the other side of the Ginza Gate. Tonight was the last convoy of its kind.

Officially, after the Ginza Incident, multiple nations of the Commonwealth pledged their assistance to Japan as the British and Canadian Embassies had been attacked as well as tourists from the various countries that made up the Commonwealth. Most couldn't send large amount of conventional forces yet but they had sent the cream of their special forces for this mission.

As the trucks came to a halt in front of the main barracks, a group of masked soldiers wearing green uniforms quietly poured out of their transports. They quickly made their way inside the building to meet their counterparts.

They were then greeted in an impeccable English by the commander of the Japanese Special Forces Group, Colonel Takanori Hirata. They unmasked themselves before presenting themselves.

"Good evening gentlemen, I welcome you to Narashino Garrison. My men and I are already looking forward to working alongside the elite of the Canadian Forces, Captain Richer."

"Thank you Colonel Takanori. My JTF2 team is more than happy to work with the best soldiers that Japan has to offer." answered Captain Christian Richer as he shook Colonel Takanori's hand. The Montreal native was a tall, gruff unsmiling man with piercing blue eyes and a well grown beard and short brown hair. He then presented the man that flanked him.

"This is my second in command, Lieutenant Jack Johnson."

"Pleased to meet you sir." grunted Lieutenant Johnson. The Manitoban was a slightly shorter man then Captain Richer with blond hair and dark green eyes. He also looked somewhat younger than his commander.

"The pleasure is all mine."

"When can we sit down and talk about the current situation Colonel?" asked Captain Richer.

"Tomorrow morning. The Americans have begun sending small reconnaissance unmanned vehicles on the other side a few hours ago."

"Very well, we'll see what we're going up against. Anything else sir?"

"No, my men will show you to your quarters."

The JTF2 team leader thanked the colonel before his team and him were guided to their new quarters. As the team set themselves in, they couldn't help but feel confident. Whoever JTF2 would fight, they had no chance. The elite Canadian Spec Ops force had already faced off against ISIS in the Middle-East and had proven their might there against insurmountable odds. Against a primitive enemy like the one that emerged from the Gate, it would be an easy mission.

 **Parliament Hill, Ottawa, September 2nd, 1255**

A large crowd had amassed in front of the Parliament of Canada despite the rain, waiting for Prime Minister Trudeau's speech. Many people were carrying large signs in anticipation of his speech. The signs were covered with pictures of the Ginza Incident or slogans demanding an intervention to bring back kidnapped relatives or to avenge those that died on that day. The RCMP had been deployed to protect Parliament Hill in case if things went south during the press conference.

It had been a very busy week for the Canadian government. Between heated debates in Parliament over the deployment of troops, late night planning to multiple interviews on national television, the Trudeau cabinet had been highly busy. There had also been talks with the American President and the United Nations. Today was the big day as the crowds grew silent when the Prime Minister appeared on a stage flanked by the Minister of Defense, Harjit Sajjan. This meant alot. Television cameras were quickly pointed at the podium as Canada's leader began his speech. A speech that would help write a new chapter of human history.

Meanwhile, after successful scouting missions by unmanned vehicles, the Japanese government had declared the region beyond the Gate a "Special Region" of Japan and had asked for help from the international community against whoever on that side was responsible for Ginza. The United Nations had then authorized a joint US-Japanese led task force and there were very strong rumours of Canada joining seeing as the Prime Minister was working to build support for a Canadian intervention that had been asked by the United Nations. Today's speech would finally confirm everything.

"My fellow Canadians, it has been nearly two weeks since the Ginza incident in which many innocents from Canada and all over the world have barbarically attacked by an unknown enemy. We have never seen such savagery committed on our people on such a large scale and I hope that we will never see such an attack again."

The incident had been the worst attack on civilians since 9/11 and Canada had suffered the worst of loss life in peacetime in its history. Many people taking pictures and videos but they held their breath at was coming next.

"However, in such terrible moments, there are heroes that rise to defend those that cannot against evil. Though far from their homeland, the Canadian Forces' soldiers and pilots performed admirably in the battle and fought as if they were defending their homes and families in the great cities and towns of Canada. I commend them for their heroism and bravery but most importantly for the skill they showed in the protection of Tokyo and the Japanese people. I must also extend this to the men and women of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces for the courage they showed as they defended their people, way of life and homeland against an unknown invader. Our old allies and friends from the United States deserve recognition as well for honoring their alliance and treaties with Japan with such great decisiveness and speed when they intervened alongside our armed forces stationed in Japan."

Large cheers could be heard from the massing crowd as Trudeau finished his sentence. Social media flared to life as users began praising the Canadian Prime Minister's speech and his gratefulness for those serving in the military.

"The past two weeks have been busy for my government as well as the American government. We have spent many hours in deciding our next course of action concerning the deployment of our troops at the request of the United Nations beyond the Ginza Gate in what is now dubbed the Special Region."

Silence fell on the crowd as they held their breath.

"It was not an easy decision to make. Such a choice mean sending our brave troops into harm's way. It means risking their lives in battle. However, our citizens who have been taken by the enemy are counting on us to come to their aid and it is the duty of my government to ensure that every Canadian citizen taken been found and brought back to their families! We cannot let our people suffer under brutal oppression and we must do everything in our power to rescue them and any other innocent lives! We will do what is need to bring back everyone to their homes, be they from Alberta, Ontario or Quebec. As such, Canada, alongside the United States of America and Japan, will lead the way into the Special Region and secure a foothold for our nations. I will now allow our Minister of Defense Harjit Sajjan to make special announcements."

All over Canada, people who were watching the speech were left breathless. The internet was filling with users either praising the Canadian government or condemning the use of war, fearing more bloodshed. At Parliament Hill, Prime Minister Trudeau had stepped aside and let Minister Sajjan take his place on the podium. The greying Sikh man who served as Canada's Minister of Defense was an highly praised lieutenant-colonel prior to being elected and decorated veteran of the wars in Bosnia and Afghanistan.

"As a veteran of two of Canada's wars, it is not an easy for me to see our soldiers sent into battle especially against an unknown enemy. However, as Prime Minister Trudeau said, we cannot abandon our fellow Canadians to their fate and it is the duty of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces to fight our enemy and rescue our people. We will dispatch a task force of from our troops and their support personnel stationed in Japan at the moment of the Ginza incident. They have been drawn from the _Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)_ , the _Royal Canadian Regiment_ and the _Royal 22_ _e_ _Régiment_ as well as pilots from the Royal Canadian Air Force' No. 409 and 433 Tactical Squadrons. Additional support units will be sent after a foothold has been established in the Special Region."

Minister Sajjan took a short pause before continuing.

"As such, we have also taken the decision has been taken to increase our military spending. We will make sure that if our soldiers are fighting, they will do so with every tool they need so that they may come home safely to their families and friends as well as rescue back everyone that has been taken by the enemy. We have already made deals with the American government to supply us with new weaponry. I am confident that our well proven troops, with better equipment, will prove more than able enough to overcome anything they will face in the Special Region."

His speech finished, the minister of Defense stepped down to allow Prime Minister Trudeau to answer a round of questions.

 **Teachers Lounge, Curé-Antoine Labelle High School, Laval, September 2nd, 1310**

Various high school teachers were staring at a computer screen as the questions period died down after the prime minister's announcement.

"Well I'd never thought I'd live to see something like this happen. It'll be fun for the new history books" commented a history teacher.

"I hope it doesn't end up like another Afghanistan" added another.

"Check this out...they'll send the Québécois first so they get slaughtered first so the English can have their glory without dying." snidely remarked an elderly teacher.

Marie's face fell as she moved back to her desk at the back of the teacher's lounge. She sat down shakily as her dark eyes filled with tears as she looked at a picture frame on her desk. It was a picture of her university graduation prom when she got her bachelor's degree in teaching. Kinh was standing to next to her, wearing a suit. It was a memory of a distant happy moment.

' _Why? Why did this have to happen now?'_ wondered the French teacher as she tried to compose herself over this new situation. She knew that her husband could end up being sent to war, being married to an officer but still. She angrily wiped her tears as she mentally cursed the Gate thing and the Romans wannabees.

' _Crisse de Romains à marde...why did you have to fuck everything up?'_

"Heille Marie, are you ok?" asked one of her colleagues that saw her crying.

"Yeah Isa, I'm just dealing with allergies, forgot to take my Benadryls this morning. You know how I'm allergic to my own cats right."

"Tu dis vraiment de la marde (You're bullshitting me)...you know? Wasn't your husband sent over to Japan a few months ago? Wasn't he the one that held the flag in front of that gate?"

Marie couldn't figure out what to say next as her colleague saw right through her lie.

"I think I found the problem. Listen, go get permission and go home okay girl? I'll take over your class this afternoon." proposed Isabelle.

"Thanks, I owe you one." answered Marie as she tried to force a smile.

After a quick tour to the principal's office through student filled hallways, Marie got permission to go home early. As she arrived home, she quickly got to her room and collapsed in a crying heap on her bed as one of her cats ran from the room.

"Tabarnak, it's not fair!" cried out the young woman. "Why did this have to happen? Chuis à bout ostie!" After a moment of sobbing and shouting, Marie came back to her senses.

 _'Pull yourself together girl! What would Kinh say if he saw like that?'_ She briefly smiled at the thought. He'd make a sarcastic remark before holding her tight and whispering words of comfort inher ear as his hands would stroke her back. She missed him. She let out a sigh as she wiped her tears and replaced her glasses. There wasn't much she could do to bring him back.

An idea ran through her mind. She picked herself up before heading to her computer and began searching on the internet. If she was lucky, the Canadian soldiers leaving for the Special Region would have something from their families.

 **Firing range, Camp Fuji, September 10th, 1300**

A group of American, Canadian and Japanese officers were observing a weapons training at one of the ranges. Today, it was the Van Doos infantrymen and the RCR's airborne troops training with some of the new weapons and equipment obtained for the expedition across the Gate. The sound of shotgun blasts could be heard as the soldiers mastered their new M870 shotguns with ease and enthusiasm.

With the deployment of troops against an enemy that only fought in hand to hand, National Defense Headquarters issued directives that the newly constituted Canadian Gate Task Force's (CGTF) regular infantry forces be issued with shotguns, a weapon typically reserved for the Canadian Forces' combat engineers and special forces.

The Canadian soldiers were enjoying their training with the shotguns. The two infantry units were particularly pleased as their role as the RCR's battalion was one of airborne troops and the Van Doos contingent served as assault troops. This meant they could and would get uncomfortably close to an enemy who liked to hand to hand fighting. The shotguns would give any Canadian infantry section a rather nasty surprise to give any foolish Roman who got too close.

Another "new" weapon for the CGTF was the American-made FIM-92 Stinger. With the enemy flying around on dragons and air superiority not being guaranteed in the early days of the incursion, it was considered that the troops would need some adequate means of air defense. Canada once had British made Blowpipe missiles but the stocks had long been destroyed due to old age and general ineffectiveness during the Gulf War of 1991.

Besides getting new weapons to fill out the holes in their armoury, the Canadian infantrymen were getting their long awaited plate carriers to replace their old tactical vests while their motor pools were getting an upgrade as well. The Textron Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles (TAPV), who were meant to replace the MRAP's and Coyote scout vehicles, acquired during Afghanistan, were being deployed more quickly than originally planned. The vehicles had already arrived in stores but the usual sluggishness of army bureaucracy had delayed their deliveries to all units.

As Major Parent put it, the Canadian taxpayer was " _en tabarnak_ " and wanted revenge for Ginza. He wanted everyone back alive. However he didn't want his tax money being wasted by seeing troops getting killed by a bunch of skirt wearing retards because his equipment failed him. Afghanistan was already embarrassing enough at the beginning with the first Canadian contingents arriving in green uniforms and vehicles as well as outdated equipment to fight the Taliban and with elections coming soon, the Liberal government didn't want a scandal smearing its name.

For the troops, it meant they were getting some much wanted new toys and new training.

 **Camp Fuji roadblock training, September 12th, 0700**

A joint JGSDF-USMC roadblock had been set up on the training ground with guards waiting for something to happen. The road that they were watching was leading into an allied compound. The Marines were wary of any unexpected surprise while their Japanese counterparts seemed more nervous.

It had a been while since anyone showed up at the checkpoint. The troops were starting to comment about how boring it was. Suddenly, one of the JGSDF troopers noticed a man dressed in Canadian uniform marching towards the roadblock.

The man was red faced with veins bulging out of his neck and forehead. He was also yelling at the troops.

"FILTHY INVADERS! YOU MONSTERS BURNT MY VILLAGE AND MY PEOPLE!"

A Marine sergeant quickly grabbed a megaphone and answered back while his squad readied themselves.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to calm down and stand back!"

"WHY SHOULD I LISTEN TO A MURDERER LIKE YOU?! YOU KILLED MY FAMILY!"

The man kept getting closer and closer. A JGSDF trooper fired off warning shots. But it didn't faze the hostile "local". By now, he walked up to the troops and started shoving one of the Japanese and yelling various curses in the man's face as well as spitting at him. Another had fixed his bayonet and pointed it at the angered "villager". Still unfazed, the man decided to punch in the gut the Japanese he had been berating and tried to grab his rifle.

Before anyone could do anything else, a pair of Marines had leapt forward and grabbed the man from the back and started dragging him away.

"Ok asshole!" exclaimed the Marine, "We're fucking bringing your fucking ass to the MP's!"

They were met with more unsavory insults. The mad "local" tried to undo himself from the Americans' grip by struggling and kicking them. The Americans replied by hitting him with their rifle butts in the sides while dragging him towards the compound.

Back at the roadblock, the Japanese and Marines were looking at the scene. The latter weren't surprised at the local's antics. The former were somewhat shocked.

"Don't be surprised."

It was one of the Marines that spoke up.

" _Nani?"_

"Shit like this happened in Afghanistan all the time. Pissed off unarmed local shows up and starts pissing on you. You gotta stay cool and still smack his ass around without shooting him."

The Japanese were too nervous to say anything at first. Finally one of them spoke up.

"Do you honestly think that people won't like us on the other side of that Gate? I mean we'll free them from a cruel tyrant."

"Listen kid, no matter what you do, someone's gonna be pissed off about you being there," replied the sergeant, "It's how shit works."

They were interrupted by the return of the Canadian instructor. He looked at the Marines with a smile.

"Good job there eh? Got a few marks but nothing an icepack here and there can't fix."

The Japanese were dumbfounded. This man was praising the Americans for their roughhousing? The instructor looked at them.

"As for you gentlemen," started the man, "I had to be rough because you'll come across this eventually. Better you learn how to deal with this kind of situation now here than over there."

 **Camp Fuji training grounds, September 15th, 2100**

3SON and a squad of Marines was standing guard inside one of the camp's training buildings. It was another late night training exercise. This time, it was in an urban environment and the two squads were tasked with keeping an eye on one of the roads leading into the village. The JGSDF was tasked with assaulting a village while the Canadians and Americans were tasked with guarding it. So far, it was rather quiet.

"Yo, you think they chickened out bro?" asked Dick as he looked out one of the windows.

"Eh, don't think so, it'd be too easy" answered Zach as he readjusted his C7A2's freshly replaced C79 scope. "They must be getting more careful."

Over the past few exercises, the Japanese troops were slowly faring better against their North Americans counterparts and they were showing some much needed improvements. The training had been more intense then what the Japanese were used to but it was needed. Unlike the Americans and Canadians who had fought all over the globe in the past years, they were going on their first combat deployment since 1945. As such, they needed as much practice as possible before going in.

"I hope so, we've been fucking them up good for the past few days" whispered Aline. "Tabarnak, ils commencent à comprendre la crisse de game." (Goddammit, they're starting to understand the fucking game.)

"That's why we don't get cocky people. If the Japanese can learn from a few assbeatings, so can those dumbass toga wearers we'll be fighting soon." warned Mathieu.

"I heard that crazy boot sergeant of theirs is starting to learn." added a Marine sergeant. As he finished talking though, a flare went up in front of them. "Or not..."

"'Here they come!" shouted Malika as she began to open fire into the road leading to their building. Comms cracked to life as officers and NCO's began to order their troops into position. The sound of engines filled the troops' ears as vehicles began changing positions while gunfire rang out as troops exchanged fire.

Meanwhile, in a building near there, Kinh had run for cover inside of a small house with his pronto, Corporal Brisebois before starting to organise his men over the comms. He was going around to check on his platoon when the flare went up. As he finished up, he heard sounds coming from the next room. He made a sign for Brisebois to ready a grenade as the two men formed up on the side of the wall.

"CHARLIE!" shouted Kinh. It was a codeword. Whoever it was in that other room had to answer with the right word. If they didn't, Brisebois' grenade would go in.

"HOTEL!" answered back a voice. Kinh breathed out a sigh of relief as Brisebois put back his grenade in his pocket.

The two men entered the other room and saw a squad of US Army soldiers bearing the 25th Infantry Division's patch on their shoulder with a familiar man at their head. They had taken positions to cover the doorways leading into the room. Kinh noticed something different about the man.

" _Sergeant_ Ryan? Tabarnak! Da fuck are you doing here eh?" exclaimed the Canadian lieutenant.

"Command wants us to secure the buildings around the village entrance and reinforce your position sir!"

"I heard that over comms...didn't expect see you guys show up that fast. Good enough. Some of my lads are in the building on the other side with some Marines. Get your men ready to assist."

"Yes sir!" answered enthusiastically Ryan. The men began moving into position in the other room as they heard a loud screech followed by a green blur charging into the room, with a training bayonet fixed on her gun.

' _Ostie de connasse!'_ thought Kinh as he saw Shino Kuribayashi try and spear one of the Americans. While she did get the unfortunate American, his squadmates opened "fire" and resolved the problem in an expedient manner, taking her out of the exercise.

"Good shot there Ryan." chuckled Brisebois as he looked at the now fuming sergeant. The rest of the men readied themselves for anyone trying to follow up after Kuribayashi's attack. As it turned out, whoever was with her chose wisely to move away and the Americans and Canadians moved outside to help their comrades defending the village's entrance.

In the after action reports, it was revealed the Japanese had shown significant improvements. They had come much closer to success then the last times by pushing back the defensive positions established by the Americans and Canadians. As for one fuming Japanese sergeant first class, she learned a good lesson about not blindly charging into melee.

 **Huynh Residence, Laval, September 30th, 1900**

Sitting in front of her computer, Marie was looking at her emails. Over the past weeks, she had managed to contact various support groups for the families of active Canadian personnel to present her project. So far, it had been well received and now it was a matter of getting everyone to agree on a common design.

 _'Estie, can't we just agree on something? Geez!'_

There was also discussions to form a support group dedicated to those who had relatives amongst the troops being sent over. It warmed her heart to see that other people were banding together to help each other in this trial. Her mind went over thoughts of her husband and if her plan succeeded, she could possibly see him before the troops were sent across the Gate.

So far though, it wasn't a certainty. She sighed at this thought.

 **Canadian officers' quarters, Camp Fuji, October 3rd, 0100**

"Marie? Is that you love?" asked Kinh.

"Oui tabarnak. I've missed you so much." answered his wife as she drew closer to him. "Finally, it's all over and you're home safe."

"Those fucking Romans didn't stand a chance but enough talking about them. Mademoiselle Duguay-Delorme, you are a sight for my sore eyes."

She was crying tears of joy as Kinh took her in his strong arms while his famed youthful smile was plastered on his face.

"Crisse de cave, est-ce que tu fais semblant ou tu vas me frencher tabarnak?" (Fucking idiot, are pretending or are you gonna kiss the hell of out me?) exclaimed the young woman. As Kinh drew in closer for the kiss... and woke up in his barely acceptable bed.

"Tabarnak!" groaned sadly the lieutenant. Tears were streaking down his cheeks as he let out a sigh. He look over at his clock before wiping his eyes. It read 01:00 AM. ' _Dammit!'_ He threw a glance at his picture frame of him and Marie. He was wondering what she was doing right now. _'Probably teaching some fucking high school teens.'_ He shuddered at the thought. Though he wasn't a difficult student himself, in his mind, hormonal teenagers in a public school classroom were a terrifying prospect for the unprepared.

His mind went back to her though. He missed waking up next to her every morning and enjoying her presence and still remembered his promise of taking her out for a karaoke night and singing 'My Heart will go on' with her on a stage when he got back. Though he could speak with her over Skype and Facebook in his precious spare time, it just wasn't the same thing as being with the person in real life.

"Ostie de Romains à marde" (Fucking Roman shitheads) he sighed as he tearfully curled up in his bed and held on his extra pillow wanting it to be his beloved Marie instead. He silently wished that this whole situation was just a bad dream and he'd wake up next to her.

Luckily for him, the rest of the night went on dreamlessly.

 **Ginza Gate, October 3rd, 0001**

The area around the Ginza Gate had been turned into an absolute fortress. Well manned defenses had their weapons pointed at the dome that covered the Gate while the area around had been sealed off to rest of the world. Only military personnel were allowed near it. Well disciplined troops from the Japanese and US militaries were standing guard, ready if their enemy chose to attack across the Gate again but since the Ginza Incident, the structure had remained silent save for the sound of unmanned vehicles crossing to get a view of what lay beyond.

So far, the land looked wild and untamed with great open plains as the Gate led to a great lush hill overlooking the countryside around it as well as small hills. To the more nerdy fellows in charge of monitoring the video feed, it looked like some kind of real-life Middle-Earth.

However, it was not just a scene out of an epic fantasy movie. Images came through of three camps located on small hills around the main hill. It was apparent that they were enemy camps as the banners were the same as those captured in the aftermath of Ginza. Upon receiving this info, the newly formed Special Region Coalition under the command of General Kōichirō Hazama of the JGSDF began planning the incursion into the Special Region. It was proposed that various special forces theme undertake covert ops against the enemy garrisons around the Gate Hill to soften them up before the arrival of the main body of troops.

For the past two nights, small, discreet convoys of trucks were ferrying men and materiel to the Gate. The troops there were amongst the toughest soldiers in the world hailing from various elite special forces teams from the Canadian, Japanese and American forces as well as allies such as the United Kingdom. Tonight, they would be crossing over to the other side. These select special operatives would be the first fighting men from Earth to fight in the Special Region.

 **Camp Fuji, November 10th, 1900**

For the Marines stationed at Camp Fuji, today was a special day. It was the Marine Corps' birthday. Amongst the professional misfits celebrating this important day, Jimmy and his platoon were enjoying a good barbecue to celebrate alongside their fellows Americans. They had had the day off.

Lately, besides combat training, the Americans, Canadians and Japanese troops had received intensive language classes as their linguists had confirmed that the invaders' language which was an offshoot of Latin. It would help if they were to forge any bond with any friendly locals.

But tonight was a small moment of peace and happiness for the Americans as they readied themselves alongside their allies for the coming battles. Suddenly, a loud voice could be heard by the Marines.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" called out a Canadian Major. "We are travellers hailing from the far north who come bearing presents for a group of mighty warriors celebrating tonight!"

The Americans started to cheer as they saw what the Canadians had bought as a birthday present for the Marine Corps.

"We bought our finest beers, cuts of meat and poutine for you to savour on this special evening. Enjoy it and happy birthday to you guys!"

Beers had been bought from all over Canada seeing as how the troops hailed from many of its different provinces much to the enthusiasm of the Marines who looked forward to tasting so many different beers. The meat and poutine were very well received as well. As Jimmy sat down to enjoy the Canadians' gift, he could see Kinh heading his way, holding two rather large beers.

"Happy birthday man!" wished Kinh as he handed Jimmy one of his beers.

"Thanks bro!"

"Eh, no problems. Seeing as how we'll be stuck dealing with dumbass Romans together, a bunch of officers, including, thought it'd be a good idea to give you guys a present to help relations between our armies. The boys were more than happy to dish out the money for all the goodies."

"Can't say I'm against that." chuckled Jimmy as he clinked his beer against Kinh's. The American drew a pack of cigarettes. "Want one?"

"Nah, I don't smoke. I already drink so eh. Have enough vices already."

"Your loss."

"Sure, I'll see who's laughing when they'll get cancer."

"Dumbass."

"What do you think of the Japanese though?" asked Kinh. He already had his opinion on the question but he always enjoyed having someone else's thoughts on the subject.

"They mean well but honestly? They're a bit naive and green as hell."

"We're not exactly any better though. You and me never deployed into a combat zone either." noted Kinh.

"Difference is that both our countries went to war since 1945 and a lot of us went to Afghanistan or Iraq before this. The Japs? They've spending their time cleaning guns and looking good since 1945."

"True that. Let's hope they learn fast though."

"So far, they're getting better. I heard that idiot Kuribayashi stopped charging head first with her bayonet on." remarked Jimmy.

"Enfin ostie! That shit didn't work in World War 2. Doesn't mean it'll do any better today even if it's against a bunch of skirt-wearing morons."

"Speaking of the Japanese, where the hell are they tonight?"

"Haven't seen a lot of them outside of training. Honestly, can't say I'm not surprised."

Both men knew why. Unlike the two North American countries, Japan didn't share a very warm relationship with either Canada or the United States. The latter countries had a good relationship that could be described as being the same as a pair of brothers who had their differences but could get along.

"Me neither man. Let's hope they're just being tsudere or something like that?"

"Tsu what now?"

"Eh, I have a squad with a metric ton of otakus ok? It means being super distant but becoming friendly over time cause plot wants it. That's how I understood it anyways."

"Useful fact of the day" sarcastically pointed Jimmy.

"Whatever man... but I got a feeling that whatever happens next, we'll pull through and go home safe." declared Kinh before taking a gulp of his beer. "It's a hell of a war we'll be fighting, if we can that a war."

"Well, the important is that we fuck these asshole Romans _together_."

"Together man!"

Both men clanked their beers. As they looked around, the two lieutenants could see their men enjoying the evening. A feeling of confidence came through the American and Canadian troops. Whatever happened beyond that Gate, they would prevail and carry on to victory as long as they stood united.


	5. Chapter 4: The Demons of Arnus

**Author's note and disclaimer: Finally it's here. First off, I would like to thank Faust1812 and F-14 Tomcat Lover for beta-reading this chapter. It'd be a grammatical mess otherwise.**

 **Second, this was rather difficult to write as I had to bounce back and forth between POV's and locations but a fun piece of work. Another difficulty was figuring out how to properly depict special forces...especially JTF2 as there is _very_ little information about them. Canadians only found out about their existence in 2001 even though they were founded in 1993... and that was through an accidental leak to the press. **

**I would also like to thank systemman for his message about the time frame in the original series that helped me work out the time taken for communications and mouvement in Falmart/Special Region. It was invaluable in the writing of this chapter.**

 **Finally GATE and the real world organizations do not belong to me. Only my OC's belong to me. Steven Grey Ryan and Lieutenant Jack Johnson are not mine. They belong to F14-Tomcat Lover and Lieutenant Jack Johnson is a character idea given to me by The Canadian Patriot.**

 **Now enjoy!**

 **Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 _Chapter 4: The Demons of Arnus_

 **Arnus Hill, Local Time: Unknown, Earth Time: October 3rd 0130**

A dozen shadows moved through the tall grass. Darkness shrouded them as the moonless night hid their advance. These rapidly moving silhouettes belonged to the elite men of Canada's JTF2 special forces team sent to the Special Region and their accompanying Japanese sniper team. According to intelligence and interrogation of enemy prisoners, the Gate in Ginza led to a forested hill named Arnus located in a province of the same name. It was the highest point in the area that was surrounded by large forests, hills and largely clear valleys. Also according to intel, it was also seen as holy ground for the people of the Special Region and the main power of the region: the Saderan Empire of Falmart. Thus, it was left devoid of fortifications and enemy presence.

That and the fact that horrified, half-mad survivors of the doomed Imperial incursion into Japan came running out of the Gate, telling of green demonic men fighting alongside iron monsters with god-like powers, convinced the local Imperial Legate in the area to establish their camps on three small hills surrounding Arnus rather than risk having a demonic horde appear in the middle of their troops and butchering everything. The camps were fairly simple with four wooden walls serving as palisades while large unpaved roads ran between them and the Gate. The roads also led into the rest of the Empire. Little did the Imperial commanders know that a new, never before seen breed of warriors were bearing down on them.

In the darkness of this night would begin the Special Region Coalition's assault against the Empire as punishment for Ginza. It would not be through the might and fury of a modern military coalition. That would come later. Instead, it would be through the skills of small bands of Earth's most daring elite soldiers hailing from many of its nations.

The Canadian-Japanese team slowly drove up the woody hill leading to the eastern most camp with their ATV's before dismounting near the camp. To their pleasant surprise, the enemy seemed rather lax in their security. Besides a pair of sentries standing guard from their watchtowers at the main entrance, there wasn't much to ensure proper night time security for the camp.

Captain Richer discreetly ordered the Japanese sniper team assigned to him to quickly take out the two sentries manning the two watchtowers while his team made a last minute check to their C8SFW carbines and modified C9A2 SAW's. Communications were maintained by a small radio antenna near the Gate that was linked back to Japan by cables.

They also quickly adjusted their new facemasks. It was an idea started by a rather clever Japanese operator to have the Japanese special forces teams wear facemasks bearing the likeness of mythical Japanese monsters such as the Oni. The operator reasoned that a primitive Roman army like the one attacking Ginza would be rather superstitious and that using that superstition would be rather... beneficial. The idea gained traction through the various groups and each came up with motifs of terrifying creatures and monsters for their masks. The Canadians had a wolf-like design on their facemasks stemming from old legends about werewolves that started in the early colonisation of Canada. Combined with the green unnatural glow of modern night vision goggles, it gave the JTF2 operatives an outworldly, almost demonic appearance.

A few seconds later, both men lay dead with silenced shots to the head. The twenty JTF2 operators quietly entered the camp through its now unguarded open front gate.

"This is Blizzard One, enemy camp successfully penetrated, moving to phase two." whispered the Captain. A quick hand signal to his second in command, Lieutenant Johnson signaled the beginning of the second phase of the operation. They split into two ten men groups as they headed towards their objective under the cover of the night. The camp was silent save for the sound of snoring legionnaires while campfires had long been put out by men who no longer used them. The enemy's nighttime complacency would prove to be their undoing.

Johnson's team snuck alongside the camp's walls as they headed towards a large tent. It was guarded by two barely awake sentries. A series of quick hand signals by Johnson and the two sentries were dispatched by two operators who snuck up on them and stabbed them and covered the dying sentries' mouths. Two quick silent deaths, courtesy of JTF2. Two operators quickly moved into the tent and began placing C4 explosives on the enemy's supplies while their colleagues had moved into position to cover them.

"Blizzard One, this is Blizzard Two. Package has been placed and is ready for delivery." whispered Johnson into his radio.

"Blizzard Two, this is Blizzard one. Message confirmed. VIP ready to be taken. Blizzard Two prepare for evac," replied Richer.

While Johnson and his team had the task of destroying the enemy's supplies, Richer's team had orders to capture or eliminate the Imperial camp commander and capture any maps or useful intel for command. His team had reached a lavish, ornate tent. Richer silently gave the order and a flashbang grenade went in. A cry of surprise rang out as half of the team stormed into the tent. Once inside, the Canadians could see a disoriented, rather portly older man yelling in his underwear trying to swing his sword at an invisible foe. It was hard not to laugh.

Unfortunately for the Imperial commander, he regained some of his wits and charged at the JTF2 operatives and his body met with a hail of 5.56mm rounds before collapsing in a heap of blood. The Canadians quickly searched the tent before finding some documents and maps lying on a table and rapidly grabbed them before getting out.

Meanwhile, outside, the camp had been first startled by a loud bang, like a small blast, but those closest, were alarmed by their commander's shouting and raised the alarm causing men to scramble from their tents with weapons and shields in hand. Some of those closer to the camp commander's tent were gunned by a whirlwind of lead unleashed by the JTF2 team. That left the camp, if it hadn't been already, fully alarmed that it had intruders inside of it.

"Blizzard One to Blizzard Two. Deliver package!" calmly ordered Richer through the radio as he gunned down a Imperial soldier emerging from one of the nearby tents."Blizzard One to Blizzard Two. Deliver package!" calmly ordered Richer through the radio as he gunned down a Imperial soldier emerging from one of the nearby tents.

"Blizzard Two to Blizzard One. Roger that!"

Richer saw a massive fireball emerge from the back of the camp where the supplies were as his men unleashed a rain of death as they stormed out of there. He could also hear distant explosions. The other teams attacking the other camps were probably finishing their mission as well. The captain ordered his team to storm through the stunned Imperials towards the main entrance. The enemy was simply too confused to understand the situation and anyone trying to organise themselves met with a storm of well placed bullets as the Canadian team made their way out. Richer received a quick message from Jackson conforming that the camp gate was held by his second team and that they had rigged the gate to explode on command.

 _'Just as planned!'_

The JTF2 operators linked up with their colleagues at the camp entrance and made their exit into the dark forests.

"Blizzard One to Command, beginning extraction!" send out Richer as his men met up with the Japanese sniper teams covering them. They had eliminated a few more enemy legionnaires in the camp with precision gunfire as they made their escape. The two teams quickly remounted their ATV's before leaving.

Behind them, Imperial troops lay dead or wounded while others were panicking at the situation. They were terrified at the green eyed wolf demons that cut through their camp, killing and maiming with impunity as well as destroying the most of the camp's supplies using powerful fire magic before fleeing. Others had fallen to foul dark magic from the woods that threw shards of metal into their heads.

A group of Imperial legionnaires had gathered enough nerve, a few torches, weapons and began running after the wolf-demons, hoping to catch and slay one of these unholy creatures. As they reached the camp entrance, an unearthly roar swept the pursuing men in a great storm of fire while the Canadian and Japanese spec ops teams faded into the darkness of the forest night.

As the two teams reached the Gate, they met with the sight of their allies. The Japanese-American team raiding the main camp had returned with a shrouded, half-naked prisoner secured on the back of one of their ATV's while another spec ops team prepared for the day phase of the operation. They had probably captured a VIP who was squirming, trying to free himself. Captain Richer drove his ATV up to the dark skinned Seal Team Six leader returning from the main camp, Captain Max Chamberlain.

"Oy Chamberlain, nice little prize you got there!" exclaimed Richer as he pointed to the old man tied up behind the Seal Team Six operative. "Heard your fireworks too."

"Nothing too difficult there, the Brits had some fun in the western camp, didn't get your VIP?" asked the American as the ATV convoy headed into the Gate.

"He panicked and tried to nab us with his sword. Old fatass was a bit faster than we thought. Eh who cares? Romans will still be freaked out tomorrow morning."

"We got with his pants down... literally." boasted Chamberlain. "He was getting a blowjob from a bunny girl."

"Bunny girl? Did you run into Playboy Mansion and kidnap Hugh Hefner?!" exclaimed the Canadian operator over his comms.

"I kid you not...fucker was getting blown by a broad with bunny ears and tail. I'm surprised he still has his dick on. Pushed her off when the flashbang went off."

"Don't think he'll be using it for a while though. This place keeps freakier though." chuckled Richer.

"Yup. What's the next thing we'll see? Elves?"

"That'd be entertaining."

After a few more minutes, the various special forces teams reached Ginza and loaded their prisoners onto truck before being debriefed on tonight's operations. As it turned out, the mission was a great success as important maps of the area had been secured while what appeared to be important VIP's had been captured. The enemy's supply depots had also been destroyed courtesy of large amounts of C4 while their fortifications had also been badly damaged.

 **Central Imperial Camp, Arnus Province, October 4th 687 (Imperial Calendar)**

In the early hours of dawn, all three Imperial camps were in an uproar. Strange green eyed demons had attacked them during the night. The commanders of the three camps had either been taken to wherever these monsters came from or found dead, their bodies pierced by metal shards. Supplies had gone up in flames while some of the camps' gates had been breached. Right now though, Tribune Aurelion was interrogating the Vera concubine that had served Legate Octavius, the now missing commander of the Imperial army stationed near Arnus Hill. They were inside his tent while two guards stood on the Tribune's side.

"Slave, what can you tell me of those who took Legate Octavius?" demanded the arrogant young man.

"M-milord, I only heard a yell before a bright light blinded and deafened me before Legate Octavius pushed me off of him," whimpered the Vera. Her body shook and her bunny ears twitched as she feared the Tribune's reaction. "As I came back to my senses, I could see the faces of demons."

"Demons?"

"Th..they stood on two legs and looked like men. Though their faces looked nothing of those of men," stammered the concubine.

"Go on," asked Aurelion. He was getting impatient and wanted more information from the slave.

"They had many green-blue glowing eyes and large fanged mouths. I did not hear them speak a word as they took Legate Octavius. They also wore strange clothes and carried long, black staves."

"Did you not attempt to protect your master, slave?" There was contempt in the Tribune's voice as he looked at the now cowering Vera.

She hung her head in shame.

"I was simple too terrified by these monsters," admitted the young woman. Tears streaked down her face as she hung her head in shame. "I have failed my master."

The Tribune look at her for a moment wondering if he should claim her as his concubine. His musings were interrupted by a centurion and a legionnaire bursting into his tent.

"Milord!" saluted the two men.

"What is the situation centurion?" asked the Tribune.

"Milord, we have received word from parties sent by land to oversee what has happened in the other camps. I'm afraid the news are dire."

"Explain."

"The supplies in all the other camps have destroyed as well by great fireballs and their commanders are all dead or missing as well. The parties also found various dead messengers who had been dispatched from the other camps."

"WHAT?!" Tribune Aurelion exclaimed. "How is this possible?"

"They have been ambushed and died in the same way as the other commanders and men who killed during the attacks last night. Some have had their heads," The centurion swallowed hard, "completely destroyed."

"Beheaded?"

"No my lord," the Centurion looked stoic, but his face is a shade whiter, "Their heads appear to have been shattered by magic."

"The situation is graver then I thought." stated Tribune Aurelion. "Send out a messenger to Sadera. The Empire must know what is happening here!"

He immediately went to his desk to write a short report about the situation before handing it to the centurion. The underlings saluted him before leaving the tent. He made a gesture to the guards to leave him with the Vera woman.

Hidden in the thick grass atop a nearby hill, a Japanese scout sniper team lay immobile, waiting for a target to hit. Though they could easily target anyone near the camp gate, they waited for something valuable to pop up. Suddenly, they spotted a rider getting a message handed to him before being surrounded by more horsemen.

"Command, this is Saber, we have eyes on an heavily guarded enemy messenger. Permission to engage?" asked the team leader. A few moments of silence hang over.

"Permission granted Saber team."

"Understood, over."

The sniper adjusted his aim on his sniper rifle before shooting twice. Both horse and rider dropped dead on the ground.

For the Imperials, it was far more terrifying. The messenger and his steed were both dead, slain with no warning. They had not even ridden out from the safety of their camp. The horse had a hole where its heart was while blood pooled underneath it. The rider's head had partially been destroyed as the skull had exploded like an overripe fruit. One of the horsemen dismounted to inspect the corpses before he began to shout.

"Someone get a message to Tribune Aurelion! This is an emergency!"

"What sorcery is this!?"

"Demons! Demons! This is the work of the green eyed demons!"

A wave of panic spread through the gathering Imperial legionnaires as they tried to understand the situation. The Japanese sniper team looked in satisfaction.

"Command, this is Saber team, exfiltrating now."

"Understood."

The snipers then melted into the forest surrounding them, leaving no trace of their presence for their enemy to find.

Standing in his tent, Tribune Aurelion was fuming while he listened to two of his subordinates explain the messenger's fate. As they finished their explanation, the young noble was coming up with orders.

"Now that you are done with explaining how our messenger and his mount were killed, have any of you taken the initiative of hunting down these so-called demons?"

"No-no milord! We deemed it too dangerous," nervously answered a sweating centurion.

Aurelion ran his hand through his dark hair while thinking of his next move.

"Send out a dragon rider scout with a message to the capital," ordered the man, "I want parties to be assembled to find and destroy these so-called demons. Have the Dragon Riders' best scouts search the area around us."

The two underlings looked at each other with nervousness before complying.

"Yes milord!"

Aurelion was watching with satisfaction as he saw the dragon rider begin its ascent into the skies and started flying over the forests surrounding his camp. He saw it head towards the capital but his smile quickly disappeared as he saw a large fire arrow rise from the tree line and destroyed the rider and his mount in a great fireball.

Meanwhile in the nearby woods, a British SAS team congratulated its Stinger operator for the kill before changing their position.

Aurelion could only stare in shock as he watched the dragon and its rider fall from the skies.

 _'Maybe we are fighting demons.'_

"Milord? What do we do now?" asked a subordinate, "Milord?"

The tribune took a moment to recompose himself as his mind raced to figure out a solution. Finally, he ordered more messengers to be sent in the evening riding both dragons and horses and forays to be organised. The messengers would leave in multiple small groups as to confuse their enemy but the different groups would all carry the urgent message to the capital while the forays would comb towards the site from which the arrow emerged. He hoped that at least one would make it through to Sadera and that one of his search parties would stumble upon something.

 **Unknown building, Ginza district, October 5th, 1600**

General Hazama and various officers from Canada, Japan and the United States were standing in one of the buildings near the Gate that had been repurposed for the Special Region operations. It served as a headquarters for the Spec Ops team operating against the Saderan Empire. The officers were enthusiastically going over the after action reports brought in by the Coalition's various special forces team that had been fighting for the past two days.

"General, this is good news indeed," stated Colonel Takanori, "Our various teams have collected much valuable intel on the Special Region over the past few days."

"So far, we have maps of the area surrounding Arnus Hill as well as intel on the enemy's supply network in the region," analysed General Frank Maxwell, the commander of the Canadian Gate Task Force. "We could use this to soften up the enemy before heading in on November 30th."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Frank?" asked his American counterpart, Colonel Arthur Hancock of the III Marine Expeditionary Force.

"Taking out as much of their supply trains? That's a good idea right there Art."

Pointing to a map of the region, General Hazama began speaking.

"According to what we know, the camps and their garrisons are supplied via one main highway that leads to their capital, Sadera. If we could limit their flow of supplies for the next month, it would weaken their positions around Arnus."

Colonel Takanori's face was etched in concentration as he calculated something. His hand was moving between the point on the map marking Arnus Hill and the one marking Sadera.

"I'd estimate that it would take them two weeks on horseback to go from their capital to Arnus. Considering that factor, they would probably organise a single large convoy rather than continuous small ones."

"Therefore, we must prevent as much of that convoy from reaching Arnus Hill," declared General Hazama. "It would weaken the enemy's position and possibly force him to push back his lines."

"General, there's also the enemy's winged assets that needs to be destroyed," remarked Colonel Takanori, "They've deployed their dragons to try and hunt for our men."

"What is the current information that we have about their winged assets?" asked the Japanese commander. His subordinate pointed to the region's map before starting his explanation.

"It appears that most of their dragons are held in pens at the main camp with their riders staying in a nearby barracks. I recommend the destruction of these assets to be a priority."

"It could also cripple their morale," pointed out Maxwell, "Seeing as how they are staying in much better accommodations then the rest of the army, they must hold a lot of prestige in the Saderan Empire."

"Not only morale but communications and reconnaissance as well. From what our teams reported, the Saderans use the lighter dragons as messengers and scouts," added Hancock while looking at the pictures of the enemy dragon pens and rider barracks.

The various Coalition commanders began to plan together the next phase of the Special Forces' offensive around Arnus Hill aimed at crippling supply efforts and communications. In the end, parts of their plan reminded them of a battle long forgotten by many on Earth.

 **Central Imperial Camp, Arnus Province, Earth Time: October 13th 0200**

Camouflaged men were making their escape from the enemy as the Imperial camp shone brightly from the orange light of burning buildings. As they left, Captains Richer and Chamberlain threw a quick look back at the enemy camp. They looked through the initial breach that they made in the camp palisade and saw the damage they had done.

Scores of enemy legionnaires lay dead or were crying in agony while smoldering piles of debris behind them were all that remained of Seal Team 6 and JTF2's targets: the enemy's winged assets. The main dragon pens and dragon rider barracks were gone as well as their occupants.

"Command, this is Blizzard team. Enemy winged assets eliminated. Over!"

The commanders on Earth following the mission cheered in unison as they heard the message finish.

 **Imperial Senate, Sadera, October 14th, 687 (Imperial Calendar)**

The senators and Emperor Malt were listening intently at the newly arrived messenger's report. It was a shock for them as he finished his report and was giving Emperor Malt a headache. The situation was getting worst in his mind. His armies had already lost nearly 60 000 men in the expedition beyond the Gate and now this was happening. Strange demons had appeared around Arnus Hill and were wreaking havoc on the Imperial garrisons there. Their supplies had been destroyed, multiple commanders were dead or missing and morale was plummeting. Now the Senate was engulfed in turmoil as the senators bickered over the course to take. A grey haired, sharp looking senator took to the floor and began a speech.

"We must consult the priests and oracles about these demons and pull back the armies. We cannot allow these creatures more prey!" spoke Marquis Casel as he stood in the center of the Senate floor. "Enough men have been lost on the other side of the Gate your highness! How many of our sons, husbands and fathers have not returned to their homes?" angrily demanded the noble.

"Coward! The Empire must not allow these monsters to go any further then Arnus!" interrupted an angry senator from the right side of the Senate. "Your highness, we must resupply the garrisons and hunt these demons. Perhaps prepare another attack across the Gate with more men! Demand that our vassals join us in such an attack! The spoils of war should be bountiful for every kingdom involved if the survivors are to be believed!"

"Fool, you wish to send more of our men to die against monsters!?" yelled another senator. "Did you not hear of what the expedition faced on the other side of the Gate? Legions of unholy battlemages killing with impunity, iron chariots that spat fire and metal firebirds that destroyed everything with ease?! 60 000 dead or missing! How can you be so foolish?!""

Marquis Casel looked around him as the Senate erupted into chaos and turmoil as the other senators erupted in arguments while Emperor Malt looked on. He was calculating his next moves as he weighed in the different factors.

' _Casel has a point. With 60 000 men gone, the Imperial Army has suffered enough. Yet we cannot allow these demons to spread and calling upon our vassals for aid would show our weaknesses. Perhaps a compromise would be best for now.'_

They were getting nowhere. Emperor Malt's voice rang out amongst the feuding men and silence fell.

"It is through hours of trial like these that the Empire grows ever stronger. We must not waste any of our precious time squabbling here while our brave legionnaires are faced with doom! We must organise a supply effort to Arnus Hill," declared the emperor. "We must levy new troops to replace those lost in the other world before attacking anew. I, Emperor Malt Sol Augustus, enable the Imperial forces stationed around Arnus Hill to requisition any necessary supplies from villages and towns located nearby until our supplies arrive. Dispatch the swiftest messengers immediately!"

As he finished his speech, various senators began to cheer as their emperor proved his ability to lead the Saderan Empire. Marquis Casel looked at the Emperor with a disapproving look on his face as he approached the throne.

"Is this wise your Highness? I cannot help but fear the coming times." he asked worriedly. The marquis was met with a smile.

"We have no choice Marquis. This is for the good of the Empire."

 **50km north of Arnus Hill, (Earth Time) October 21st, 2000**

A small band of Imperial horsemen and their mounts lay dead, blood pooling on the ground as their small campfire burned. Their small camp made in a clearing near the main highway to Arnus had just been attacked. From the shadow of the trees, a group of cloaked men emerged. They were an American MARSOC squad part of the teams sent to monitor enemy movement along the highway leading to Arnus. It just so happened that they had stumbled upon a group of Imperial horsemen making camp near them. After proper authorisation had been received, they engaged and destroyed the enemy cavalrymen.

Very quickly, one of the Marines put out the campfire while his colleagues went through the camp and corpses to search for any intel.

"Yo guys, I got something interesting here." called one of the men. He held up a pouch carrying small rolls of parchment with elaborate wax seals on them. His team leader quickly went over and inspected the document before radioing back to command.

"Command, this is Hawk Team actual. We've just found an enemy messenger carrying orders and intel. Requesting permission to exfiltrate."

"Hawk team, this is Command, permission granted."

"Understood Command over."

Before leaving, the MARSOC team took some quick samples of the enemy's food. Command had wanted to know what to expect in terms of local supplies and how the locals lived. After quickly making sure they hadn't missed anything of value, the Americans vanished into the darkness of the woods, leaving only a deserted camp and dead men.

 **Unknown building, Ginza district, October 22nd, 0900**

The Coalition commanders were looking at the new intel arriving from yesterday's missions. The news were both good and bad. The good news was that the enemy's supplies were gone and they waited desperately for their supply convoy. The intel also provided the detailed route that the convoy was taking. They also now knew that the Saderan Empire was being led by an Emperor named Malt Sol Augustus and the Imperial Senate. It confirmed that they were facing an empire similar to Rome.

On the other hand, the bad news was that the enemy had authorized their armies to forcefully seize local crops and animals from villages and towns around Arnus to resupply the garrisons watching over the initial deployment area.

"It seems our plans are working a bit too well," sighed General Hazama. He had not expected the enemy to stoop that low that quickly.

"Well, time to make the best out of a bad situation." suggested Maxwell as he poured over the intel reports. "These fuckers won't know what hit them."

"We could have a couple of the special forces teams ambush a few of these foraging parties before the arrival of the main supply convoy," proposed Hancock as he looked over the map. "Have them keep watch on the roads leading to the camps."

"Excellent idea gentlemen. Colonel Takanori, do you think such an operation could be undertaken?" asked Hazama.

"It would take some planning and redirecting some of the teams but it would be possible to do so." answered Takanori. He began to write and sketch inside a notepad as he started formulating a new plan for the Special Forces teams.

 **Central Imperial camp, Arnus Province, October 25th, Early Morning**

Inside his tent, Tribune Aurelion was poring over his latest reports and as well as messages from Sadera. He had just finished writing his urgent message about the loss of the majority of his dragon riders and had sent it to the capital.

' _Finally some good news'_ mentally sighed the young noble as he finished rereading the last letter that the dragon rider from the capital had brought in last evening. The emperor had formally authorized his troops to forage foodstuffs from the nearby villages and towns while a large supply convoy was organized to bring much needed aid to his embattled camps. Of course, the tribune had already authorized his men to requisition supplies from the locals a few days prior.

He could breathe somewhat better as he knew aid was on the way. The past few days had been unnervingly calm as none of the three garrisons reported any demon attacks but the aristocrat still had concerns. Yesterday, one of his patrols had returned with grim news as they found a group of dead Imperial horsemen alongside the highway between the capital and Arnus. According to the returning legionnaires, the horsemen bore the mark of the night demons' dark magic. Aurelion was puzzled though. _'Why were such a small group of horsemen riding to Arnus? Were they messengers_?'

His musings were interrupted by cries coming from the camp. Moments later, a legionnaire burst into the tent.

"My lord, you must come quickly! Something terrible has happened." called out the legionnaire. Judging by the man's fearful expression and shaking body, Aurelion understood the gravity of the situation. He quickly his personal armour and helmet before heading out.

Meanwhile, a concealed Canadian sniper team from JTF2, hidden in the thick forests of a nearby hill were admiring their handiwork. They had spotted a small foraging party led by two officers, distinguished by their elaborate armor and helmet plumes, about to leave. Very quickly, radios messages between the team and the higher echelons authorized them to engage the two centurions. After a few moments, the two targets were crying in agony and their men were panicking. Some ran towards to the back of the camp. The sniper team's leader hesitated for an instant as he continued observing the scene through his binoculars.

"My gut tells we shouldn't leave just yet man."

"You sure about that?" asked his sniper as he continued looking through his scope.

"Positive...well I'll be damned! You seeing what I'm seeing?" exclaimed the leader.

"VIP in shiny armour?"

The two men saw through their optics a man bearing far more elegant armour then those around him. His appearance was even more distinctive then the two earlier targets as he attempted to regain control over his panicking troops. The sniper began making calculations and adjusting his aim while the team leader radioed his superiors.

"Command, this is Arrow one! We have an enemy VIP in our sights! Permission to engage?"

After a few tense seconds, authorisation was given. The deadly assassins performed their work as the shot struck down the enemy VIP.

For the Imperial troops, it all happened in a blur. Tribune Aurelion was trying to rally his men and issuing orders for parties to hunt these demons in exchange for a large amount of gold. The next instant, his head was destroyed, shattered like a vase hit by a hammer, and his body collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood. Cries of horror ran out through the gathered men as even hardened veterans began panicking while centurions and camp prefects tried to make sense of what was happening and tried to calm their men.

"THE DEMONS! EMROY PROTECT US!" cried a legionnaire as he fell to the ground in panic. Another looked at him in horror before giving in to fear and hitting him.

"FOOL, THE GODS HAVE FORSAKENED US!"

"THIS PLACE IS CURSED!" shouted another one before he ran back to his tent. He was soon followed by his colleagues. The centurions and camp prefects on the other hand, were trying to shove their men back to the front while some had joined in panic.

Meanwhile, the Canadian sniper team had exfiltrated, satisfied of the havoc they wreaked on the enemy.

 **Imperial Palace, Sadera, October 30th, 687 (Imperial Calendar), Early Afternoon**

Emperor Malt pressed his hand against his forehead as he listenend to Interior Minister Marcus's report. A dragon rider had arrived earlier in the day bearing more bad news. A few days ago, Tribune Aurelion had been slain by an unknown force that shattered the young man's head.

Before that, the bulk of the Arnus dragon rider wings had been destroyed in night attack with many of the mounts and riders dead or dying. The survivors were stretched thin as they tried vainly to conduct search missions over dense forests in the hopes of finding the demons that plagued the area. To add further difficulties to the dragon riders corps, every now and then, they would be plucked out from the skies by great fire arrows or dark magic threw shards of metal into their mounts' heads.

The foraging expeditions were having serious problems as well. The first groups had been ambushed and destroyed after they left the villages they visited. It was proving more and more difficult to gather volunteers as well for the parties. Another problem soon materialised as well.

"We now have more bad news for your Majesty." sighed the minister. He looked utterly exhausted.

"What?" There was a discreet irritation in the sovereign's voice. "How can our situation in Arnus province deteriorate anymore?"

"It... hum... appears that the local villagers and farmers around have begun foolishly calling these demons...guardians."

"How is this possible?"

Minister Marcus could see the emperor's scowl as he digested this rather sour information.

"Fools..."

Emperor Malt knew where this was heading. The minister sweated as he continued his explanation of the situation.

"It appears that some commanders," gulped the minister before continuing, "are abusing the generosity of our subjects in the region."

"This information cannot fall into the hands of the senate minister."

"It would be catastrophic your majesty. What would you have us do then?"

The Imperial monarch's brow furrowed as he worked to think out a solution to the current crisis. After a brief moment of thinking, he finally spoke.

"Minister Marcus, we should take advantage of the Vera and Elven people in our Empire. They have unique skills that could useful to us."

"How will we convince them to aid us? Ever since Prince Zorzal led his campaign against the Vera kingdom and took their High Queen Tyruule for himself..."

"Perhaps a proper reward for their efforts."

"What could we possibly offer them in exchange for hunting demons? No amount of coin could sway them."

"Perhaps granting certain privileges and rights could sway them. Offer the Vera a small parcel of land under our watch." proposed Emperor Malt. Minister Marcus' mouth was agape.

"But your majesty, you realise what this means?" asked the shocked man. Why would the emperor propose such a thing for such... inferior beings?

"We cannot waste the lives of men in such... foolishness but perhaps others can do so instead. Promise the Elven tribes a lessening in their tribute in exchange of their aid against the demons."

There was a smile on the Emperor's face as he explained his reasoning. Minister Marcus had regained some of his confidence upon hearing his liege's plan as realization dawned upon him.

"Very well your Majesty. I will go make the necessary arrangements."

The minister then left. As he departed from the throne room, another person came into view. She was a redheaded young woman wearing ornate white, gold and blue armour. Her red eyes showed a fiery determination while her burgundy and white cape flowed behind her as she walked up to the emperor.

"Your Majesty!"

"Pina, my daughter, what do you need?"

"I have word of demons attacking our armies around the holy ground of Arnus Hill. We cannot allow ourselves to sit comfortably in Sadera while our men are beset by foul devils which offer no respite," declared the Third Princess of the Saderan Empire, Pina Co Lada

"Minister Marcus and I have already taken much needed measures to fight the demons of Arnus."

"I do not believe that is enough. I wish for the Rose Order of Knights to ride out under my command to assist our legions around Arnus."

"Pina, you and your order are to stay in Sadera. The situation is still under control by our forces stationed there."

Pina scowled at this. More waste of time and Imperial lives. The Empire's safety was in jeopardy while she sat in comfort and shelter of the Imperial Palace.

"I do not believe that holding back is the way to handle these demons. They have already claimed the lives of many of the region's highest ranking commanders. How much longer can our men hold under this pressure? How long before more appear and invade our lands?!" railed the young woman.

"Pina." Her father was using a kind yet condescending tone of voice whenever he denied her requests to serve in battle. A tone that the third princess despised with all her heart. "I will not waste you and your order's talents in such a menial task."

"But your majesty..."

"You are dismissed Princess Pina!" sternly ordered the Emperor. A very red faced princess angrily left the throne room in disgust while the Imperial ruler returned to his business of understanding the intrigues in the senate to his advantage.

 **Arnus Province, Main Highway, November 17th, 1600**

A long column of wagons and men were advancing on the highway. Rain and wind swept over the convoy as they were caught under powerful downpours and battered by powerful gales. The Imperials were hoping to reach the camp as quickly as possible. The Arnus garrison had abandoned two of its three camps around the highest hill nearly two weeks ago and assembled a new, larger camp reuniting all the remaining Imperial forces together. The heavy storm also meant that no dragon rider could fly over to protect them, leaving the Imperial aid train without any protection or early warning against danger.

Hidden in the forested hills around the convoy and highway to Arnus hill was every single one of the Coalition's Special Operations Forces teams. Men and women from Canada, Japan, the United States and various Commonwealth nations were waiting, eager to strike. The past few weeks had been successfully spent between raids against the enemy's foraging parties, assassination missions and reconnaissance. Those observing the enemy's camps had noticed men leaving their posts and tents with their belongings and weapons before disappearing into the night. However, the elite operatives and their superiors knew that the enemy was getting wiser and smarter.

During their missions, various teams encountered enemy combatants that tried to engage them in small skirmishes. Small bands of irregular fighters were appearing every now and then. These new hostile parties had proven far more adapted to the task of fighting Earth's most skilled soldiers then the enemy's legionnaires though they bore no success against the modern special forces teams. There had been a few close calls but the elite soldiers had proven themselves once more. Some teams had managed to search the dead parties for information.

It shocked them and command. The elite soldiers noticed that these parties were made up of beings that weren't fully human. Some were typical fantasy elves with long pointy ears, lithe figures and graceful features. Others shared traits with various Earth animals in ways reminiscent of Japanese manga characters such as bunny eared women or fox men. It astounded the special forces. Many of these irregulars fought tenaciously and with great cunning.

As for command and the intelligence services, what astounded them was the intel found on these humanoids. Some of these irregular fighters, suspected to be band leaders, carried letters marked with Imperial seals. The letters were bounties against the "demons" of Arnus Hill and promised various rewards for any demon slain. The nature of these rewards, such as promises of land, lower tribute and measly rights, confirmed some of the Coalition commanders' fears. They were fighting against a civilisation that routinely oppressed other species that lived in Falmart. It didn't bode well for those taken at Ginza and urgently reminded the need for swift intervention.

This day would mark a new phase in the Coalition-Saderan Empire war. As Captain Richer and his men looked through their weapons' scope, they waited for the order to fire. Seconds became longer before every man's radio cracked to life. A simple phrase came through.

"Command to all teams, permission to engage granted."

A single thought ran through the minds of the men of the various nations. ' _For Ginza!'_

As the transmission finished, the sound of thunder could be heard as lighting tore through the dark skies. Time seemed to slow for a moment as the Imperials looked to the skies in awe before pandemonium engulfed the slow moving convoy.

Fireballs had first destroyed the lead and rearward most wagons with ease, blocking any attempts to move. Unit leaders, standard bearers and musicians were cut down as they were struck by unholy magic that claimed their lives instantly or left them crying out in agony as they fell in bleeding heaps. The rain covered highway soon became red with blood as men and horses were hit by the demonic powers that surrounded them.

Lieutenant Johnson was directing his team's firepower against the enemy forces as he fired his C8 carbine. Through the scope of his weapon, he could easily see the scene unfurl before him. The enemy was trying to organise a counterattack against the special forces team. He spotted a horseman in elaborate armour trying to rally the enemy legionnaires.

A centurion waved his sword as he defiantly bellowed orders to the panicked Imperial troops around him. He would not falter as demons were claiming the lives of good Imperial soldiers and refused to stand idly to be killed. From atop of his horse, the commander tried to push his men back into position. As he spun around to face his gathering soldiers, the centurion fell a sharp pain in his back and his body grow weak before falling to the rainy ground.

Johnson briefly smiled in satisfaction as he looked at his latest kill. The soldiers behind the fallen enemy VIP had lost the small amount of confidence they regained and began running for their lives. His team continued pouring fire into the valley below them. The damage was becoming rapidly apparent.

Meanwhile, many of the convoy's supply wagons and carts disappeared in fireballs as the enemy was powerless to stop the attack. Some legionnaires had even fallen to their knees and were praying furiously for their gods' mercy while others ran for their lives. Cries of madness could be heard as some lost their minds to sheer terror at the scene playing out before their eyes.

The few brave legionnaires that tried to charge up the hill saw their attempts at advancing towards the forest were thwarted. The muddied slopes impeded their uphill charge while those armed with ranged weapons found their weapons useless as they were outranged. Ballistae and onagers were reduced to burning piles of wood while their crews were cut down. Men fell as they slipped on the muddied hill, becoming easy targets for the well trained special forces teams. Chaos reigned supreme in the rapidly disintegrating Imperial convoy.

After a moment, the killing ceased. The surviving Imperials looked up in confusion as the forests and hills around them fell silent. Around them, the cries of wounded men agonising could heard alongside the soft sound of rain. Silent horror fell on the Imperials as they saw the remains of the shattered aid column. A sense of powerlessness filled them as they began picking up the tattered remains of their convoy and their wounded before making camp for the night. Others had taken up the difficult task of burying the dead that littered all over the highway.

The night would bring an uneventful but troubled, nightmare-filled sleep for the survivors. In their dreams, many saw the cruel faces of mocking demons that attacked them and killed mercilessly.

When morning came, the demoralized remains of the supply convoy broke up their camp and begun trudging towards the Arnus garrison. It was a sorry sight as the rain soaked, bloodied men advanced on the highway.

 **Unknown building, Ginza district, November 20th, 1700**

The reunited Coalition commanders were in high spirits unlike their Imperial counterparts. Following the successful raid on the enemy's supply convoy to Arnus, the enemy was barely holding on to its new positions further from the Gate. The Spec Ops teams had been mostly withdrawn back to Earth for a small period of rest before additional operations.

Plans were finalized for the initial assault. The veteran American and Canadian tank units would lead the charge followed by the Japanese's tank assets. Following the armoured assets would be mechanized infantry units from the JGSDF, Marines and Van Doos. They would secure the main hill before fortifying their position as support artillery and helicopter assets would follow them in within the first hours after the area was secured. Once secured, Arnus Hill would become the main base from which the Coalition would launch its campaign against the Saderan Empire. In addition, the initial assault who be timed so that the troops would arrive in the early night so that they could dig in under the cover of darkness. Conveniently for them, intelligence had calculated that the next moonless night was on November 30th.

"It is settled then gentlemen," said General Hazama, "Our initial assault will begin on November 30th at 1400 as planned."

"Excellent, I will call the Prime Minister to inform him. He wanted to give a speech in front our men." replied General Maxwell.

"I'll inform my President of the situation." added Colonel Hancock. "In addition, both me and Frank have received requests from groups of families who would like to see their loved ones before the start of operations."

"Hmm, this could be good for morale," noted the Japanese commander, "I see no objection to this. You can make the necessary arrangements. I don't believe we have anything to discuss today gentlemen. Perhaps would you like to join me at the bar?"

His two colleagues looked at each other in silent affirmation before answering with a smile.

"Our pleasure, General Hazama."

"Gentlemen, please call me Kōichirō. We are friends that will be working together for the next few months."

"Very well, Kōichirō but you'll have to call us Frank and Art eh? We're in this together now." answered Maxwell. He was followed by a "Hell yeah!" from his American colleague.

The three officers then left the room for a bar. It would be a small moment of respite before the coming times.


	6. Chapter 5: At the Crossing of the Worlds

**Author's notes and disclaimer:**

 **First off: Special thanks to F-14 Tomcat Lover and The Tundra Fox for beta-reading this chapter and fixing up the grammar and spelling mistakes. Faust1812 also deserves thanks for his help for Colonel Hancock's speech.**

 **Second of all, I chose a more realistic approach for the first battles between Earth and the Empire. That's why I wrote it out the way it is in this fic. Fear not though, I'm reworking the battle with the Allied Kingdom Armies for the next chapter in order to make something far enjoyable than the original one.**

 **Finally, as always, GATE and the real world organisations don't belong to me. Only my OC's do. Sergeant Steven Grey Ryan, President James Kelly Grey belong to F-14 Tomcat Lover while Lt. Jack Johnson is an idea given to me by The Canadian Patriot. Many thanks to both of them for the characters.**

 **Without further ado...enjoy!**

 **Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 _Chapter 5: At the Crossing of the Worlds_

 **Camp Fuji, November 25th, 1800**

The men of the Canadian and American forces stationned at Camp Fuji were enjoying their supper. They had received news a few days before that the assault across the Gate would finally be on November 30th. Before that, the weeks had been spent in training and preparations.

Both the enlisted men and their officers had spent their precious free time to stay in touch with their families in Canada and the United States. Military service was already filled with peril whenever wars happened but the added factor that the soldiers would be fighting in an unknown world and dimension made this even more perilous. Thankfully, the WiFi was rather good and was able to bear the strain that the troops placed on it.

Kinh was chatting with the men and women of 3SON as they tried to finish their meals.

"Sacre... I can't believe we're crossing over in five days man." said Julien.

"Better believe it man." answered Mathieu as he ate the last bite of his mashed potatoes. "Better believe it man."

"I don't have any trouble believing it sarge... my family does." groaned Malika. "They aren't exactly too happy with this whole...situation."

"Your pa still giving you shit for that?" asked Alice while she took a small sip of water.

"You know how my family is. They still remember how Syria was before we left a few years ago. My parents still wished I became a banker or doctor." shrugged the Syrian-born Canadian woman.

"My mother still thinks I'm gonna end up dead like my grandfather. Yesterday, she sent me another message telling me to be careful. My uncles, on the other hand...well they're proud that this generation still has 'real manly men!'." snorted Kinh. "They called up my mom to congratulate her for having such a manly son. I even got messages from my family in Vietnam."

"No shit cousin...I got a message from our uncles and other cousins last night." added Joël. "My twin brother also wants me to send back pictures of half-breed girls and elf maidens."

"Not surprised man...not surprised at all. He's a cat girl guy right?" Joël nodded at this.

"Yo guys, I can totally imagine us saving an elf village from a dragon." chuckled Julien as he did crude hand gestures to play out the scene.

"Thus stood 3SON...Canada's greatest dragonslayers, saviours of the elves. Man I can see us surrounded by half-naked Elven maidens handfeeding us grapes and pouring us wine and shit." cut enthusiastically in Jean-Philippe as he high fived Julien. "There'd be a tapestry with us killing the dragon...Estie que ça serait nice!"

"Knowing our dumb luck, they'd somehow fuck it up and we end up looking like a bunch of wizards or something." sarcastically added in Zach. "It'd be funny as hell though."

Before the Van Doos could continue their conversation about potential adventures, they were interrupted by a call to attention. A tall, dark haired man with glasses and sharp grey eyes had issued it... General Francis Maxwell, the commander of the Canadian Gate Task Force. All the Canadians stood up at attention as he entered the mess hall in his CADPAT uniform before stopping in the middle of the hall.

"At ease!" called out the general. The troops relaxed before he continued his speech. "As you all know, we are crossing over on November 30th. Now, I'm leaving the long speech for the deployment ceremony for that morning. Tonight, I got a surprise for you."

As he finished his sentence, people began pouring into the hall. It was some of the families of the Canadian troops. Upon seeing this, the fighting men began cheering as they looked to see if their loved ones had made the trip. Mathieu and Alex ran towards their girlfriends while the others searched for their loved ones to see if they had made the trip. Very quickly, Kinh spotted a familiar face that smiled back at him.

"MARIE!"

The two lovers ran up to each other and held each other tightly as tears of joy filled their eyes.

" _Comment_..?" (How?)

Before he could continue his sentence, he was interrupted by a passionate kiss from his wife.

"I missed you so much my love!"

"How did you get here?" asked Kinh. "Wasn't it exam time at Curé?"

"I got special permission from Principal Girard to leave for a week. We arrived this morning."

"Oh wonderful...crisse de belle surprise!"

"But this is just your first surprise..."

"Okay, well then what's the rest?"

"You'll see it in five days." giggled Marie. "I got you your favorites."

"Aww really!?" exclaimed hopefully Kinh while his wife took off her backpack and rummaged through it.

"Ah voilà!" She handed him a few small bags of assorted peach flavored candy and a few chocolate bars. "I didn't bring too many since I didn't know if you had enough room for them." softly whispered the woman.

"Aww, it's all right, ok?" answered Kinh. "I love you."

"I know" sighed Marie. "Just like Han and Leia."

"Our favorite movie couple." smiled Kinh. "So how was your flight over? You didn't get stuck on the Forces' transports right?"

"Non, Air Canada gave us free tickets to visit Canada's heroes," snorted Marie. Air Canada's flights were notoriously unconfortable...

"Wow, that's wonderful...so how's everything back home these days?"

"Nothing really interesting, the usual you know?"

"Well, students aren't too much a pain in the ass?" chuckled Kinh before continuing their conversation and holding Marie in his arms. Around them, the sounds of joy and happy chattering filled the mess hall. The Canadian soldiers and their families enjoyed this brief moment of peace and serenity before the upcoming battles. It was gave them hope that everything would go well.

 **Special Region Coalition Deployment Ceremony, Ginza Gate, Tokyo, November 30th, 1200**

This was it. The big day had finally come for the Coalition's initial thrust into Falmart against the Saderan Empire. Since the early hours of a chilly fall day, troops from Canada, Japan and the United States had been busy. Weapons and vehicles were cleaned and inspected while gear and radios were given last minute checkups.

Meanwhile, the families of the North American troops were readying their final preparations as well. Banners, flags and signs with encouragements were prepared. This had been a surprise prepared over the past month. The leaders of Canada and the United States had flown in and had prepared rousing speeches. It was a moment of history being written.

The Canadian Gate Task Force was parading through the streets of Tokyo. They were being led by the artillerymen and towed guns of the recently arrived _5_ _e_ _Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada_ (5e RALC). Following them were the veteran tankers of the _Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadian)'_ 1st Squadron _._ The tank crews and officers had seen action in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. For them and their faithful Leopard 2A4/6's, it was a "here we go again" moment. Behind them were the airborne troops of the _Royal Canadian Regiment's_ 3rd Battalion (3BON). The airborne troops would not be part of the initial assault seeing as it would be difficult to rapidly transport their Griffon helicopters. Once Arnus Hill was secured, the RCR's 3BON would be rushed through alongside their counterparts in the JSDF's airborne 4th Combat Unit to provide air mobile support to the Coalition ground forces. Closing the Canadian parade were the men of the _Royal 22_ _e_ _Régiment'_ s 4th Battalion (4BON) or 4/22. As part of the latest Canadian Forces' modernisation program, the 4/22 had recently been changed from a Reserve Force unit to a Regular Force unit. As such, they ended up being sent to Japan for exercises before the Ginza incident happened. Each one of the Canadian units were led by their regimental bands and were playing their traditional marches. The musicians were wearing the traditional British styled, bright red dress uniforms and bearskins as they led the parade and their units through Tokyo.

Inside of one of the Canadians' G-Wagons, Kinh was looking out the window. Everywhere, people were cheering as the column moved passed them. Bouquets of flowers and cherry blossoms were thrown in the air, blessing the troops. After a few moments, the vehicles stopped and troops began disembarking. Kinh could see the Marines and JSDF moving into position with great discipline. His fellow Canadians were doing the same. No one wanted to look unprofessional in such an event.

Throwing a quick glance around him as he fell into formation, the Canadian lieutenant could see the Ginza memorial and the people around it. People from all over the world had gathered there to remember and mourn those who died during the attack while others were there to pray for the safe return of those taken. It was a reminder of why he joined the Canadian Forces and why the Coalition was fighting this war. Kinh could also see a large crowd waving Canadian flags with a banner over them. Written on it was _Families of the Canadian Gate Task Force/Familles du Corps Expéditionnaire Canadien du Portail._ Quickly scanning the crowd, he could see Marie standing in the front row with her camera. Standing next to the Canadian crowd was a large American crowd with a large sign with _American Special Region Troops' Family Support Group._ The Japanese, on the other hand, didn't seem to have such organized groups.

' _Not surprising as this is their first real war since 1945'_

The music stopped and the leaders of the Coalition appeared on the stage. The first to talk was the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzou Motoi. Cameras turned to him as he began speaking in English while translators, such as those from Radio-Canada, began translating his speech for the non-Anglophone nations watching.

"This bill has been adopted thanks to the effort of former Prime Minister Houjou and the officials from all political parties, and now, at last, we are ready to dispatch our men to the Special Region. We will not be going alone however as our old allies, the United States, and our new found ally, Canada, will be fighting alongside us. We are forever indebted to them as they rescued our people during the Ginza Incident and fought as if they were defending their own homes. As Prime Minister of Japan, I gratefully thank you again in the name of the Japanese nation for your intervention on August 18th. I also give you our condolences as many American and Canadian citizens also lost their lives on that tragic day. We stand together so that no other Ginza may happen again. "

He took a brief pause before continuing. The crowds had grown silent over the solemn tone of his speech. The troops could understand the gravity of the situation as the Japanese Prime Minister continued his speech.

"All of you, whether you speak English, French or Japanese, are now united in this grave hour. Though our nations have many differences, I wish that we may learn from one another during the approaching times. It is _our campaign_ against the Saderan Empire, therefore, we must put aside the past and stand together. Our government has not sent you lightly to war in a different world. You must be therefore careful as our people do not wish to see your lives needlessly wasted in battle. The mission you have been charged with is of utmost importance. Kidnapped innocents from all over our world are eagerly for your arrival. Therefore, on behalf of the people of Japan, we wish you good luck in the upcoming battles!"

He then stepped down. Another grey haired man stood up. The President of the United States, James Kelly Grey, marched up to the podium and began his address to the Coalition troops. The Oregon-born man had an aura of kind wisdom in his blue eyes that shone as he spoke.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Special Region Coalition, I am very proud to be here today and to stand amongst such gallant people. Truly, your bravery must be admired as you are heading into an unknown world in the name of the Free World. Your actions during the Ginza incident proves your valour and greatness."

His speech was different from his Japanese counterpart. It seemed to give the troops hope and faith in the righteousness of their cause.

"I have great faith in your skill as well as determination and I strongly believe in our victory. I carry the hope that you will be careful and return safely to your families, loved ones and home though I must ask you that you be prudent in your endeavours. It is easy to grow overconfident and take useless risks when we have the advantage. It is difficult for me, as President and Commander-in-Chief of the United States, to order you to war. I do not take this decision lightly as this means risking the lives of soldiers from three different nations. It is not easy as well since my nephew will soon be amongst you. He had already risked his life on August 18th, fighting in the siege of the Imperial Palace. To the Americans forces crossing over today, I have a received a special request from our people back home. They have made each of you a small gift to help you through these hard times."

A group of people standing in the American support group crowd moved towards the gathered Marines. They carried large bags from which they started handing patches to their troops. The green and black patches depicted a proud American bald eagle fighting and pushing back a cowering dragon. It also had the new abbreviation for the American force sent through the Gate: USF-NF (United States Forces-New Frontier). The grateful soldiers proudly displayed their new gift on their uniforms. Lieutenant Jimmy Foley smiled as his girlfriend Annabel placed his patch on his uniform. The simple gesture gave him a small dose of happiness and hope for the times to come.

"I wish you now good luck and godspeed! As Prime Minister Motoi said earlier, your mission is of the upmost importance. The world is counting on you and has faith in your success in the battles to come!"

For the troops, the American leader's speech gave them faith that they were not merely an expandable resource in the infernal game of Foreign Policy and International Relations. A sentiment of trust in their leaders filled them. A round of applause could be heard from the crowds as the American President went back to his chair while the youngest of the three nations' leaders took his place behind the podium.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada. A man that had followed in a proud political legacy left by his father. A man leading a country that was never supposed to be sent to war in such circumstances. It was a strange twist of fate that Canada was involved in such a conflict. The Canadian Prime Minister cleared his throat before addressing the assembled crowd and fighting personnel.

"People of Japan, the United States and Canada, today we stand as one. Our combined forces are heading into an new world to wage war against a barbaric enemy. Like Prime Minister Motoi and President Grey said, it is not easy for us to order you into battle in such circumstances. Yet, we have been left with no choice in the matter."

He drew a sharp breath before continuing.

"Had the Saderan Empire approached us in peaceful ways, we would not be crossing with such an armed coalition. Had Emperor Malt Sol Augustus chosen diplomacy and talks, perhaps we would have gone in peace to this new world. Instead, he chose violence and war and forced us to answer in such a way. His armies marched into Ginza and attacked people from all over our world including my fellow Canadians. Our embassy, a safe haven for our people, was burned by the Imperial armies. Many died on that day but countless others have taken as slaves. This tells us much about the Saderan Empire's ways. We cannot stand idle knowing that innocents are being oppressed by cruel tyrants. As such, soldiers of the Special Region Coalition, your mission will be to bring those responsible to justice as well as helping those living under tyranny. I believe that the skill and professionalism you displayed at Ginza will lead you to victory over the Saderan armies. Good luck to all of you and may you come home safely!"

It was now the commanders' turn to address their troops. The first to speak was General Hazama, commander in chief of the Special Region Coalition.

"I am Lieutenant-General Hazama, commander of the Special Region Coalition! Many of our Special Forces team have entered the Gate in the past month and have already engaged the enemy with success. However, we do not know how the enemy will react to our arrival. Therefore, you must be prepared for combat to begin from the moment we cross the Gate! My colleagues from the US and Canada will address you before we enter."

Meanwhile, the recently celebrated Hero of Ginza, Itami was looking through the crowd. Following his actions at Ginza, he was promoted to First Lieutenant and was reassigned to the Special Region Task Force. He was searching for a familiar face and couldn't help but envy the Americans and Canadians since their families had organized support groups to help each other out. His eyes went over the memorial and he saw a familiar little girl standing next to an elderly woman. She had been separated from her parents during the attack and he tried to help her find her parents in the aftermath. Unfortunately, he later found out that both had died in the attack. Another good reason to fight.

A another quick scan of the crowd and he managed to spot a short, dark haired woman with glasses standing next to the Canadian and American families. His wife, Risa, had a tearful expression. She had cried non-stop when she heard he was being deployed to the Special Region. He did his best to comfort her but he honestly wished that there was more that he could do.

His train of thought was interrupted by the commander of the American contingent, Colonel Arthur Hancock. He was a greying, dark skinned man that reminded Itami of an angry bulldog. The Japanese wasn't expecting what the American officer had to say in his speech. As the man arrived on the stage, Itami heard the sound of the Marines standing at attention. He started his speech by making his men sound off with a deafening roar.

"All right, when I got the phone call about what happened here in August, I wanted to court-martial the idiot that came up with a joke this disgusting and ridiculous!" he roared, "Unfortunately, it wasn't some wise guy that thought he was being funny," Anger and disgust were sketched across his face before he continued, "Turns out he was right and some dumbass skirtwearin' Romans riding dragons thought it was funny to butcher and kidnap innocent people for God knows what reason! Those sackless sons of bitches attacked people but guess what?"

"WHAT SIR!?" shouted back the assembled Marines. They were starting to get pumped up at their commander's speech.

"These spineless bastards crapped their pants the second Earth answered back with a much smaller army! Tells us much about their honor and courage! That's a problem that needs to be fixed. How do the fine gentlemen of the United States Marine Corps fix this kind of shit?!"

"KILL!" loudly answered the Marines. Despite the evident aggression in their voice, they stood at attention, not a single muscle moving uselessly.

"I'm afraid my hearing's not that good."

"KILL!" It was, much to the surprise of the Japanese, even louder than the first time. The Canadians, on the other hand, had expected this of their American counterparts.

"That's what I wanted to hear from the best misfits on Earth. I still think this whole situation's disgusting. These bastards dragonfuckers took innocent people and probably sold'em as slaves. That's an insult to everything we stand for as Americans! Am I right?!"

"YES SIR!"

"Very well gentlemen! Unlike these bastards, we are civilised people who aim to please and are the best warriors on Earth. We must set the highest standard as we will respect the Geneva Convention to the letter. The eyes of the world are watching us... and I expect us to make'em proud!"

As the Colonel's speech finished, the JGSDF troops were doing their best to remain disciplined at their shock at the Marines' public display of aggression. Itami did his best to hide his nervousness after the speech. They were also surprised that the Americans had not charged across the Gate and killing everything in sight.

The Canadians, on the other hand, were divided. Some, like Julien, Joël, Alice and Alex, felt the adrenaline rush run through their body at the Colonel's words. With world renowned soldiers like the Marines and Van Doos fighting side by side, whoever or whatever lay on the other side had no chance of winning. Others, like Kinh, Zach and Andrew, weren't exactly surprised at their southern neighbours' bombastic displays and appreciated the confidence that came with it. Meanwhile, some, like Frédéric and Malika and Mathieu, did their best to not rolled their eyes in exasperation at the whole display. Typical American bravado being needlessly waved around.

The American commander then left the podium, having pumped his Marines as well as some of the Canadians present. He was followed by a dark haired man wearing a black dress uniform and beret. The Canadians recognized him as their commander in the Special Region, General Francis Maxwell, as he began his speech while they stood at attention.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Canadian Gate Task Force, I am extremely proud to lead you into battle against the Saderan Empire. I am confident that we will overcome anything they will throw at us. Even those of you who were not there during the Ginza Incident, I have faith that your abilities, personal strength and training will carry you through safely in the upcoming battles," spoke the general. He took on a more grave tone before continuing.

"We are not going as conquerors but as saviours. There are fellow Canadians from British Columbia to Newfoundland that have been taken by the Saderan Empire. They are our friends, our family and neighbours and there are many back home who are eagerly awaiting the success of our mission to see their loved ones again or to find closure after such tragedy," he paused again before addressing his speech to the rest of the Coalition troops.

"Know that we are proud to fight alongside the Jietai and the US military against our common foe. You too have suffered during the Ginza Incident. Speaking as a Canadian, the way the enemy has behaved on August 18th shocks me as it spits on everything my people stand for! If they are willing to do this against our people, I am certain that they are no better in their world. We must put our differences and the past aside for we must work together to aid those oppressed from both our world and Falmart! I expect each and every one of you to set an example for everyone in both worlds to aspire to!" He finished his sentence before taking a lighter, more grandfatherly tone to his speech.

"I have a final surprise for my Canadians from our loved ones back home," spoke the general, "Our citizens have organized the making of a small patch that all Canadian personnel operating across the Gate will have."

As he finished his last word, a group of Canadians came from the crowd bearing bags filled with patches and began fixing them to their soldiers' uniforms. The green and black insignias depicted Juno the Polar Bear fighting against an enemy legionnaire and prevailing. Written underneath in black embroidery was the abbreviation for the _Canadian Gate Task Force/ Corps Expéditionnaire Canadien du Portail_ : C.G.T.F/C.E.C.P..

Kinh did his best to remain stoic as Marie tearfully placed his patch on his uniform.

 _'To think that right now we were supposed to be home together and planning Christmas...calisse!'_ mentally sighed the lieutenant. He could see his men's loved ones do the same. His musings were interrupted by his general finishing his speech.

"On behalf on my troops, I thank you for your thoughtfulness. Having a small touch of home will help us through the trying times. We will make you proud of being Canadian!" finished General Maxwell. As the speech finished, the order was given for every soldier and Marine to remount their transports while the crowds slowly dispersed. Kinh and Marie's eyes were painfully looking at each other until he disappeared in the ranks of his men and mounted his G-Wagon.

"Voilà que part mon cave préféré," (There goes my favorite idiot) muttered the young teacher to herself, "Attention à toi mon amour. (Be careful my love)". She chuckled at what he'd say if he'd hear her. Probably something along the line of "Ha! I never die!". As she left the parade, she headed towards her next rendezvous of the day.

As she walked, Marie looked at her phone to try and find the woman she was looking for in the crowd. Not paying attention to where she was walking, she accidentally bumped into another person. Said person was a short, dark haired Japanese woman, about her height and sobbing as well.

"Hum...excuse me, I didn't see you there," apologized Marie in a thick French accent, "Are you okay?"

The Japanese woman tried to recompose herself and was trying to figure how to answer to Marie. After a few brief moments of searching for her words, she managed to cobble together an answer.

"I'm...I'm okay," stammered the nervous woman in a Japanese accent before she started sobbing again.

' _Urgh...malaise (awkward),'_ nervously thought the teacher before finding the right words to say. "Hum... but are you okay?"

"My husband is one of the soldiers being sent over on the other side!" sobbed the woman before saying something in Japanese.

"Oh? Mine too," sighed sadly Marie, "I'll show you what he looks like. What's your name by the way? I'm Marie."

She began to scroll through her phone for a picture of him before finding one. One that both made her proud and sad. At the same time, the other woman spoke in a quivering voice.

"I'm Risa Itami." Upon hearing this, the Québécois woman remembered the name "Itami" though it would be quite the coincidence.

"Pleased to meet you," answered Marie, "Here's a picture of him."

She showed Risa a picture of Kinh. It was the one taken of him and the other soldiers in front of the Gate. More sobbing and Japanese came from Risa before she started speaking in English again.

"That's... that's him!" whimpered the woman, "My husband!"

"QUOI?! Calisse! Our husbands know each other!" exclaimed Marie, "Kinh told me that he befriended alot of guys over here including the JGSDF hero named Youji Itami!"

 _'Why am I not surprised?'_

An idea ran through Marie's mind and she started messaging the woman she was meeting.

 _Me: I just met someone you to meet. Would you mind if she came with us?_

The reply came moments later.

 _Annabel Fletcher: Who?_

 _Me: The wife of the Hero of Ginza. Kinh met him before... We ran into each other._

 _Annabel Fletcher: I think he knows Jimmy as well. She can come along. Where are you?_

Marie poked her head up to try and get a sense of where she was before answering back. She had to hand it to the Japanese. Their city planning was a lot more efficient than the one in Montréal and its suburbs such as her hometown of Laval. Especially Laval's. A quick answer from Annabel confirmed where the American woman was.

"Excuse me, but would you like to come with me?" asked Marie, "I'm going to meet another woman whose husband is being sent over on the other side."

There was a brief pause before Risa nodded her head and nervously answered "Yes".

The two women began making their way through the dissipating crowds to find the person they wanted to meet. After a few minutes of searching and text messaging, the two women heard someone yelling Marie's name. They turned their heads around and saw a tall redheaded, athletic woman heading towards them. As she got closer, it was apparent that she towered over Risa and Marie.

"You must be Mary. I'm Annabel," greeted the woman, "Happy to meet you in real life."

"Pleased to meet you Annabel," answered Marie, "It's pronounced Marie by the way."

"And you are?" asked the redheaded woman as she looked at Risa.

"I'm Risa Itami. I think our husbands know each other."

"Really?" asked Annabel. "The world is a small place."

"Sacre...you don't know my husband." remarked dryly Marie. "He seems to have met everyone on Earth."

"You still down for that café Marie?"

"Sure. Would you like to come with us Risa?"

"Ye-es." answered nervously Risa.

The three women then made their way through the busy streets of Tokyo. The two North American women were enjoying the sights as Risa showed them her country before they arrived at a café.

 **Gate Tunnel, November 30th, 1430 (Earth Time)**

For the troops, the ride through the Gate had been uneventful. It was like driving through a dark tunnel with no lights. Some had decided to take a quick power nap while others were engaging in conversation. The Americans started talking over the net to kill time as the ride was getting. They were swapping stories about past battles in Afghanistan, women, the best beers they drank and the best meat they had. Eventually some had begun drifting into lewd conversations about fair maidens waiting for them on the other side.

"Seriously dudes, I can totally imagine us coming and saving a tribe of elves from some shit." said a Marine over the comms.

"Hell, and like all their men died or something," answered another Canadian, "So they'd be desperate to have men in their village."

"Yo, we'd get half-naked elf maidens throwing themselves at us."

"Awesome shit dawg."

"You think there's dark elves over there? Something for my nigguh ass."

For some of the Japanese overhearing the conversations, it was unnerving. The American public display of aggression had shocked a few of them and this wasn't helping. When the Canadians happily joined in the banter with their southern neighbours, it surprised the Japanese. They had expected the Americans to behave like brutish thugs after the rather public display of agression but they could not imagine the Canadians acting up as well. Was the Internet wrong about nice, polite Canadians?

The JGSDF troops who trained with both of the North American nations were less surprised. It was a mark of the comradeship and unity between the two nations. Those Japanese soldiers explained it was something that gave strength and that the bantering was a way of relaxing a bit before battle and hoped that they could build such a relationship as well. However, command soon got word of the inappropriate use of comms and promptly brought order.

Kinh briefly looked out the window of his G-Wagon as he listened to his music to pass the time. Wonderwall from Oasis, a classic he liked. His humming could be heard inside the jeep while a thousand thoughts ran through his mind.

' _Shit...this is not the kind of thing I expected when I enlisted.'_ he thought, _'At worst, I should have been fighting crazy religious DAESH bastards or Russians...not fucking Roman legionnaires. At least the Prime Minister had the decency of not promising our return by Christmas...'_

The Christmas promise was something the Canadian-Vietnamese lieutenant was familiar with as a historian. Many past leaders had promised to their troops that they would return for the holiday with their families only to see the wars drag on.

 _'Looks like we're not doing our traditional Christmas feast,'_ mused the Lieutenant, ' _I hope I make it to the next one.'_

He squashed that thought. He was going to make it home safely and make sure all the men under him did too. With all the thoughts running through his head, Kinh was unable to get some sleep so he decided to pull out a small journal that Marie gave him before he left and began writing in it. After a small moment, he figured how to start his writing.

 _All was calm as we crossed the tunnel inside the Ginza Gate after Command ordered the comms to be only used for important messages and not small talk. The sound of our vehicles filled our ears as we advanced in the darkness..._

As for Itami, he was chatting with his recently made friend and fellow otaku, Staff Sergeant Takeo Kurata in one of the JSDF's High Mobility Vehicles. Kurata's happy demeanor helped keep high spirits despite the gravity of the situation.

"Hey Second Lieutenant Itami, do you think they'll be cat girls on this side?" asked the cheerful man.

Itami briefly smiled before answering.

"Of course! Why wouldn't there be?" answered Itami, "Though I just hope they won't be scared by us."

After all, who said that the other side would be ready for the arrival of 21st Century humans and their technology.

Meanwhile, inside of the American Humvees', Jimmy Foley was also engrossed in his thoughts as the vehicle made its way inside the tunnel. It was somewhat unnerving to be inside a tunnel to another world.

' _My first combat deployment...against Romans. Dammit!'_

He was worried since it was in an unknown world. While the enemy at Ginza was easily defeated and was primitive, no one knew for sure if things were the same on the other side.

' _They might be waiting for us with fucking stupid magic shit. Who knows what kind of crap could be waiting over there.'_

But he was a Marine. The Marines were well trained, tough troops that survived the worst Earth had thrown at them many times in their history. He couldn't afford to be weak or to let doubt fill him. His brothers looked up to him as a leader and expected him to do his job. Besides, they were going in alongside one of their oldest, battle proven allies, Canada. The last training exercises had reaffirmed their nations' old friendship and paved the way for improved relations with the JSDF troops as well.

The crossing remained uneventful and calm until one of the lead American tank commanders broke the silence by advising everyone that there was an end to the tunnel.

 **Arnus Hill, December 1st, 0100**

Coalition infantrymen were busy digging themselves in under the cover of night. It had been since the troops had arrived to a completely deserted hill. It was moonless though some wondered if there was even a moon here. Clouds were rolling in. The sight before them was breathtaking. Perched atop the highest terrain around, they could see through their night vision goggles miles and miles of green lush forests only interrupted by a well paved road and a clear valley below them. Of their enemy, there was no sign so far.

They had advanced roughly 500 meters around the Gate into the dense woods and finished securing their position. A message was sent up to Command confirming that the vanguard had taken the hill and their support, such as heavy artillery and combat engineers could be rushed in as soon as possible.

Platoon commanders were going around to check on their units and view the work being done while tanks and infantry fighting vehicles moved into position near their foot slogging comrades.

Kinh and Brisebois were going around their platoon's sections and their positions. Upon stumbling on 3SON, they could hear Joël talking to Mathieu as 3SON were digging themselves a trench. Most of the section was helping dig the trench while Julien and Alex were standing guard with their C9A2's.

"Sarge?" jokingly asked Joël.

"Yes Côté?"

"Do we have to sharpen our shovels in case the Saderans get in our foxholes?"

"Crisse que t'es cave! (Christ you're dumb!)" answered the sergeant, "I don't these fucking retards would even make it close."

"Yo, Lieutenant's here!" exclaimed Zach.

"Good evening ladies and gents!" greeted Kinh, "How's your position coming along?"

"Well sir, it's coming along pretty well." answered Mathieu as he took a pause from his digging.

"We haven't had a single enemy contact so far." added in Alice. "It's pretty boring for a new world."

"Don't get cocky Alice," cut in Malika, "They probably don't know we're here yet. I mean they're Roman wannabees. I don't think they invented night vision yet."

"You'd think that they use some kind of magic powers to have night vision like in Oblivion or Skyrim." remarked Julien looking up from his position.

"Maybe their magic is weak as shit?" replied Zach. "We didn't see any battlemages or anything at Ginza so they might not even use magic at all."

Seeing as how there was no more relevant reasons to stay, Kinh decided to take his leave.

"Very well then people, I'll be on my way. Let's go Brisebois." ordered Kinh. "If anything happens, sent me a message, Moore."

"Aye sir!" exclaimed the radio operator.

The officer and his pronto took off again to oversee the rest of his platoon. His unit was defending a part of the line with JGSDF and US Marines. He had already met Jimmy and Itami who were in the same sector as him. Their men were digging in as well.

The area around Arnus Hill soon became filled with sound of heavy machinery as combat engineers and their vehicles arrived to help with fortifications as they lay obstacles such as barbed wire and helped clear sight lines. Tanks with dozer blades and plows were burrowing into the ground, preparing their defensive positions while the 5e RALC, 12th Marine regiment and the JGSDF's 1st Artillery battalion moved their towed and self propelled guns into position. Anti-aircraft batteries were set up as well to deter any dragon attack while the JSDF' Type-87 SPAAG's moved into position to support the defense.

 **Imperial Camp, Arnus Province, December 1st 687, 0700**

A group of scouts had just returned with an alarming report for the newly arrived Legate. They were explaining their findings in his tent to their commander and his aides de camp.

"Lord Martellus, we have spotted an enemy army atop Arnus Hill. They have appeared from the Gate!" explained hurriedly the scout party leader, "They have been fortifying the hill!"

"What?!" exclaimed the dark haired, middle aged man, "How long have they been there?"

"Milord, I believe they have arrived during the night," answered the scout, "It is an army that we have never seen before."

The Legate groaned and shook his head. He had arrived barely two days ago to take command of the Arnus garrison. Or what was left of it. Discipline had collapsed in many of the cohorts and remaining auxilia while supplies were a small trickle of what was needed. Desertion and disease ran rampant through the ranks as the starved men were too weak to withstand the cooler weather while others disappeared, preferring to abandon their post in the hopes of finding warm food. The mysterious demons were still around and claiming the souls of his men every now and then. The various beastmen auxiliaries, irregulars and mercenaries that pursued them had little success against them and most never returned from their hunts.

Now he was under attack or so it seemed.

"Is this army marching towards us?" asked hurriedly the Legate, "Are they preparing to attack our camp?"

"No, milord. It appears that they are fortifying the hill," explained the scout, "There are maybe 9 000-10 000 enemy soldiers right now. However... something is not right."

"What?"

"They don't look like any army we have ever faced milord. They have great beasts unlike anything we've seen and strange horseless chariots accompanying them and wear green clothing."

"Can you describe these 'beasts' and horseless chariots?"

"The beasts appeared to be used for building. As for the chariots, they have large 'heads' with long snouts that turn like circles."

"What of their weapons?"

"We didn't get close enough to see them."

"Very well." The legate then began thinking his next move and weighed the odds. The enemy was about as numerous as his men despite their depleted state. They had also not moved from the hill. Perhaps they were not aware of his presence if they were busy digging in. An attack from his forces would perhaps drive them back. This army was maybe the one that crushed the three legions sent over the Gate?

There was a possibility that these outworlders consorted with the demons that plagued the region in the past months. If that was the case, it meant that the Saderan Empire was under dire threat.

' _A concentrated attack on the outworlders could succeed. With enough men thrown forward, even the demons wouldn't be nuisance,'_ calculated the Legate, _'Perhaps they have supplies that can be of use to us.'_

Legate Martellus turned to his aides and began to issue his orders.

"Assemble the legion for battle. Have our auxillia in front," ordered the nobleman, "They will soak the enemy's attacks before our legionnaires close in."

"Yes milord!" called out the aides before moving out. Very soon the sound of horns and drums ran through the camp as men gathered their armour, weapons and equipment before moving into their respective cohorts.

 **Arnus Hill, 1200, December 1st**

Rain was pouring down on the Coalition's trenches. Inside them, the troops waited for their enemy to close the distance. For the Van Doos ans Marines, it was a throwback to an earlier moment of their respective history, the mud filled trenches of the First World War. It was on the blood soaked battlefields of the first Battle of Ypres that the 22e Battalion, later becoming the Royal 22e Régiment, first made its name. For the Marines, it was a reminder of the Battle of Bellau Woods where they received their famous nickname of _Devil Dogs_ from their German opponents. In the trenches of Arnus Hill, they would prove themselves once more.

Meanwhile, the Coalition artillerymen were readying their firing solutions. With the aid of hidden special forces teams and a few drones, they had managed to zero in on their enemy. At 1205, the order to fire was given.

Some 10km from there, the Imperial legion guarding Arnus hill was marching quickly in a large column in a bid to rapidly reach their objective and destroy the mysterious army that appeared during the night. Legate Martellus was at the head of his legion with his closest subordinates. Loud sounds, similar to the one of thunder, resonated in the valley where he was marching with his command. The sounds however, did not come from the cloud-filled skies above him. Instead, they came from atop Arnus Hill. He could briefly see flashes on the hill before hearing a loud whistling fill the air. Curiosity filled his mind as the sound reached his ears.

' _What in the gods' name...'_

That was the man's last thoughts before he was hit by an artillery shell and engulfed in a fireball. The Imperial column was being destroyed systematically. The Imperial legionnaires that survived the initial bombardment barely had the time to comprehend the horror that had befallen them before more fireballs erupted in their ranks. Centurions and musicians tried to coordinate their units but the loud explosions and the cries of panicking men made it nearly impossible for their orders to make it through. Some cohorts had managed to form testudos only to find them shattered with ease. The formation was even more useless as the closely knit men were easily torn apart then their scattered counterparts by the fire magic that erupted from Arnus Hill. Cavalrymen were thrown off their horses as their mounts panicked and vainly tried to run. Other leaders ordered their men to scatter. Above them, the surviving dragon riders pushed their mounts faster towards the hill in the hopes of stopping whatever it was that threw the fire magic against their comrades on the ground.

"TAKE COVER!" yelled a mud covered centurion. "Don't bunch up fools!"

"MY LEG!" agonised another man as he saw his leg lie a few meters from him.

"SO MUCH BLOOD!" cried a legionnaire as he held a badly injured friend that bled on him.

Others had collapsed in fits of madness. This apocalypse was too much for their minds to comprehend.

"The Gods... they have forsaken us," whimpered another one as he clutched his head in terror. "FORGIVE ME!"

The once paved highway was now a cratered mess littered with the injured and the dead as well as debris from shattered artillery pieces. The surviving Imperial ground forces collapsed and scattered. Some were retreating to their camp while others disappeared into the woods. As for the dragon riders, they met their fate as strange beams of light emerged from atop Arnus Hill and were being blown out of the skies one by one as they too fled the battle in terror. What power was behind this magic?

 **Arnus Hill, 1230**

It had been half an hour since the artillery barrage began. The Coalition troops were standing alert in their trenches, waiting for the enemy to reach them. They could hear the distant sound of exploding shells while dragons riders and their mount fell out of the skies as they were being swatted like flies by anti-aircraft fire.

A few minutes later, the bombardment ceased and only the sound of rain could be heard around Arnus Hill before a single transmission ran through the Coalition lines.

"This is Overlord to all units, stand down. Enemy force retreating."

Meanwhile, in of the trenches held by the Canadians, Kinh looked around in his scope before slinging his rifle. He had not even seen the enemy yet.

"This is fucking shit," muttered Kinh, "Target shooting at Valcart was more interesting than this."

Around him, the main bulk of the troops were moving out of their trenches to resume their tasks of the day, namely setting up the FOB.

 **Imperial Camp, Arnus Province, 1400**

A shattered legion was trudging slowly back into its camp. The survivors of the Arnus garrison could barely comprehend what had just befallen them. Many carried their wounded comrades to the camp's rapidly overwhelmed surgeons. The healers were simply overwhelmed trying to treat so many wounded and many of the injuries were unlike anything they had seen. It was going to be a long, difficult day.

Many of the garrison's commanders had fallen in the massacre on the Arnus highway. They had done their best to lead their men but the fire magic that rained from Arnus Hill had simply been too much. The beastmen auxiliaries had been all but destroyed while the dragon riders that survived the battles with the demons had suffered appallingly. Even the larger dragons had fallen like leaves when the strange army on the hill unleashed their powers on them.

A surviving, bloodied centurion, wearied by the sight he had seen that day, immediately went to the legate's tent and began writing an urgent dispatch destined for Sadera. He described the horror that had befallen his legion and urgently demanded reinforcements. He did an estimate of his remaining force as well as his casualties. He sighed grimly as he finished his calculations and continued his letter. In his mind, today could only be described as a catastrophe of untold proportions for so many had fallen in such a short moment. After finishing his letter, he ordered it sent to the capital by dragon rider. As he and his men saw the rider take off, they all prayed for the Gods to protect the messenger as he made his way to Sadera.

 **Imperial Senate, Sadera, December 5th 687, 1000**

The Senate was in an emergency session. Yesterday, a dispatch from Arnus province had arrived with terrifying news and the messenger was now reading his report. An army had appeared atop Arnus Hill from beyond the Gate. It was a small force of 9000-10 000 men. These green clothed soldiers had brought with them strange war beasts and horseless carriages and had turned the hill into a fortress almost overnight.

What was more worrying was that the invaders had all but reduced the 15 000 strong garrison to a mere 6000 men. The injured, missing and dead totaled 9000. It was a rarely before seen catastrophe in the Saderan Empire's history. The messenger explained that the enemy had commanded terrible magic that whistled through the air before making the earth erupt in large fireballs on the legion guarding Arnus Hill. The rather vivid and detailed description of the effect of this attack shocked the senators while Emperor Malt sat on his throne, his face stoic. As the messenger finished, various senators began whispering to each other, trying to make sense of the situation.

"It is obvious that this army has been consorting with the demons that have appeared around Arnus Hill, " stated Marquis Casel, "We must try to contact this army and seek peace before it is too late."

"Are you mad?!" angrily barked another one bearing armour, "Humiliate the Empire by surrendering at our first defeat?!"

The marquis was taken aback at this intervention and didn't have time to formulate an answer before another man yelled back at the armoured noble.

"First defeat? Have you not forgotten the loss of the three legions that went beyond the Gate?!" shot back another senator, "Do you not remember the demons assaulting our army near Arnus?!"

"We have simply not sent enough men! We were fighting against with almost evenly matched numbers!" interrupted another red faced one, "We must dispatch our legions in the surrounding provinces against them!"

"Why not use our vassals? They have been sitting idle while our men are dying on the battlefield!"

"And risk having them turn on us upon discovering our weaknesses!"

The Senate had disintegrated into chaos while the Emperor looked on, his expression having remained impassive while his mind was searching for a way to spin this situation to his advantage.

' _These are worrying news indeed. We cannot yet call upon the vassals states. They would use this to stab us in the back. Our army must stop them before word spreads to the vassal kings.'_

The Emperor stood up and raised his hand. Upon seeing this, the arguing senators ceased their bickering and listened intently to what their ruler had to say.

"Why we are we arguing like this?" confidently asked the sovereign as he stood up from his throne, "Senators of the Empire! The solution is simple. This army is tiny compared to the might of our combined forces. Reinforce our position around Arnus Hill with the rest of the Imperial Army's legions from the nearby provinces before attacking again."

Various senators began to cheer in approval at this declaration while others were flabbergasted. The Empire had already lost many of its fighting men in the past months beyond and around the Gate. Now it was committing more manpower against an unknown enemy.

' _We are risking the Empire's safety,'_ mentally sighed Marquis Casel as he watched the scene play before his eyes. There was nothing that he could do for the moment except wait for a better opportunity to come. He needed to do something. ' _Maybe a few meetings and suppers with the right people could be useful.'_

 **FOB Arnus, January 10th, 1230**

A trio of American, Canadian and JSDF officers were having lunch together. Today had been a lull in the constant fighting of the past month. The initial beachhead had been turned into an forward operating base with plans to expand it further more.

"Fighting...pff!" exclaimed Jimmy, "We've been doing target practice for the past weeks."

"The artillery has been doing target practice," remarked Kinh while he took a sip of his hot chocolate. "We've been sitting in trenches watching shells drop. Honestly, these dumbasses don't know how to fight a goddamn war."

"Makes you wonder what kind of empire we're fighting?" asked Itami, "They've been throwing men, monsters and dragons non-stop at us with no end in sight."

"A stupid or desperate one if you ask me," answered Jimmy, "They've been throwing random shit at us."

"From what I know, these guys have been throwing disorganized charges at us for the last months," added Kinh, "I don't think they even do recon."

"If they did, their attacks wouldn't be so suicidal," noted Itami as he ate some of his rice ration, "They'd probably try to encircle us before attacking rather than just charge from one direction at a time."

Kinh and Jimmy nodded at this assessment. For someone that was a lazy slacker, Itami was one smart fellow.

"They'd also avoid bunching like that," continued Jimmy, "Zerg rushes don't work in real life."

"Especially not against modern artillery..." mumbled Kinh through a half-chewed piece of bread, "On a other note, you guys think we're getting fucking wi-fi soon? Wife's probably panicking right now."

 _'And I fucking miss her.'_

"Only if the gods of logistics are on our side!" exclaimed Jimmy. "We'd have to get lucky as hell for Wi-Fi to get here anytime."

"Agreed," answered Itami, "Can't wait for it though. I'm missing out all the new Mei Com episodes and the new web novels chapters."

"And we're missing out on the new Star Wars trailers." lamented Kinh before an alarm rang out. "Aww man, those dumbasses still think they can win?!"

"Nani?!" yelled Itami.

"Yup! Rah let's go get em!" exclaimed sarcastically Jimmy as the three men got up from their seats and headed back to their trenches.

 **Somewhere in the Saderan Empire, 0200**

A lone figure was making her way towards Arnus Hill. The figure was a young girl wearing an elaborate black and red goth dress and headpiece. At least, it appeared to be a young girl. The almost comically massive and ornate purple halberd that she carried in her right hand with carefree ease said otherwise and betrayed her true nature.

Rory Mercury, immortal apostle and priest of the god Emroy, felt the recent shift in the balance of Falmart. Something had changed in this world. Death was at Arnus Hill and the souls of warriors were bountiful there. Battle called to her.

Something told her that her world was soon changing. And Rory liked the chaos of change. For better or for worst, it didn't matter. Yet she knew that Emroy wanted her there to witness whatever happened.

 **Emperor's Private Quarters, Imperial Palace, Saderna, January 20th 688, 1900**

Emperor Malt was enjoying his supper after a long day at the Senate. It had been a hard day but his plans were falling slowly into place. He had once more outplayed his opponents in the Imperial Senate such as the pesky Marquis Casel and his pacifist supporters. It was only a matter of time until he could have the pacifists arrested for treason.

The emperor had also managed to kill two birds with one stone. He had dispatched the Allied Kingdoms Armies to Arnus Hill. It was the most powerful vassal force he had under his control but also the most troublesome in his mind. The Allied Kingdoms together were a powerful force that could threaten his power though his manipulations and the ones of his predecessors had kept them disjointed and mistrustful of each other. There were also many of the allied kings and lords that were far too...smart for their own good in Emperor Malt's mind. Men like King Duran of Elbe and Duke Hadrian Ligu of the Duchy of Ligu were simply a threat to his rule and the might of the Saderan Empire.

The Imperial Army's frontline legions had suffered catastrophically against the outworlders. Emperor Malt had lost many of his seasoned officers as well many veteran legions in the past few months. 70 000 legionnaires and auxiliaries had been lost in assaults on Arnus Hill with many more wounded. Desertion had also skyrocketed with many deserters turning to banditry in Arnus province and the surrounding provinces.

Word of this catastrophe could doom the Saderan Empire if the wrong leaders heard of it.

' _Of course...if the wrong leaders were dead... there would be no problem,'_ calculated Emperor Malt. He smiled as he thought again of his plans.

 **Perragon, Capital of the Elbe Kingdom, January 25th, 1300**

A grizzled one-eyed, brown haired man and his personal guard were leaving from their palace. King Duran, Lion of Elbe, had received a summons from his liege lord, Emperor Malt Sol Augustus of Saderna a few days earlier. The Saderan Empire was under dire threat from an army that attacked it from a strange gate on the sacred ground of Arnus Hill.

' _This is unusual for Malt,'_ thought Duran as he rode at the head of his army, _'He never called on us for war before. Something is amiss. Either, it's a trap or the situation is truly grave. Perhaps this new army seeks to conquer our lands.'_

Of course, in Duran's mind, something else could be a possibility.

' _Perhaps that Malt has decided to try and crush us. Fool was always too power hungry for his own good.'_

He shook that thought from his mind. The Allied Kingdoms covered so much territory together that the Empire would be hard pressed to conquer their lands even if the core of the Allied Armies was destroyed.

 _'Emperor Malt is not foolish enough for such a thing...Zorzal on the other hand... He would be mad enough to attempt such.'_

In Duran's mind, Emperor Malt was an ambitious, power hungry ruler but he was tempered by a very sharp, calculating mind. On the other hand, Prince Zorzal, heir to the Imperial throne was a degenerate brute whose delusions was a danger to all those around him. The Kingdom of Elbe's army was now on its way on the road to Arnus Province where the other kings and lords of the Allied Kingdoms were heading. It would take them a month for the army to be fully in position near Arnus Hill. King Duran had left his kingdom in the hands of his very capable son, Prince Deorwine.

 **Coalition Planning Room, Arnus Hill, February 29th, 1000**

The Coalition's top commanders were meeting today. Earlier in the morning, a UAV recon flight had spotted a large force heading towards Arnus Hill. The almost weekly attacks by the Empire had been an annoyance for the Coalition. Though they did not get within small arms range, the constant human waves had forced the Americans, Canadians and Japanese to sit in their trenches rather than advance. Only the special forces moved beyond the wire to conduct raids and intel gathering missions. During the past months, Arnus Hill had turned into a full operational base complete with airstrips and helipads from which aircraft flew close air support missions as well as recon flights.

A fact that the Imperial armies did not appreciate as they were unable to wrestle air superiority from their enemy. The dragon riders proved to be little more than target practice for the Coalition's AA batteries and jet fighters. Today, however, was an unusual circumstance.

"Gentlemen," started General Hazama, "We've just got word from recon flights and scout teams that a large force is rapidly approaching us."

He pointed to a map of the region where the forces were gathering.

"They are arriving from multiple directions rather than just the main road leading here." continued Hazama.

"Right, is there anything unusual in this force?" asked General Maxwell, "We've been beating off their attacks for the past months."

"They do not look like the Imperial troops we've been fighting for the past months." explained Hazama. "Their uniforms aren't the same and their banners are completely different as well."

"Maybe they're other nations," deduced Hancock, "Probably think we're here to invade their lands."

"Either that or they're allied to the Saderan Empire," added Maxwell, "The Empire probably lost so many men that they called up their allies."

"Allies or not," continued Hazama, "these newcomers aren't involved in our war against the Saderan Empire, much less responsible. It would be a waste of lives, ammo and time to fight them."

"Perhaps try to contact them and negotiate their neutrality?" proposed Hancock.

"Or better yet," added in Maxwell, "We could try and persuade them to join us. These medieval-roman folks probably think that might makes right."

Hazama's face was sketched in concentration while trying to figure out the best way to contact these newcomers while his colleagues were brainstorming were giving in their ideas.

In the end, the solution was simple. A convoy of light vehicles with representatives from the three nations would head out to meet the approaching armies and make contact with them. Hopefully, it would avoid a bloodbath for the newly arrived armies...


	7. Chapter 6: Special Region Coalition vers

**Author's note** **:**

 **First off, I'm not following the canon strictly for various reasons. Mostly cause lots of it is underwhelming and very fleshed out. Expect a lot of changes in the upcoming chapters.**

 **Second, I'm working on realistic approaches and multiple POV's again to the battle of Arnus Hill since I believe that it would make it more interesting. Example: Hazama won't be blasting the Allied Kingdoms without a warning...why? The JSDF is not a military that is well funded like the US and less well funded than Canada. As such, his superiors would appreciate him not expending too much ammo and fuel. Also, the JSDF come from a officially pacifist country and is meant for self-defense...**

 **Third, Managed to get this out on the eve of my birthday!**

 **Fourth: Special thanks to F-14 Tomcat, Faust1812 and The Tundra Fox for their beta-reading.**

 **Finally, as always, GATE and its characters do not belong to me. Same thing goes for the real world organisations.** **President James Kelly Grey belong to F-14 Tomcat Lover while Lt. Jack Johnson is an idea given to me by The Canadian Patriot. As for Ronny Marinin, that would be an idea from The Tundra Fox. The M1A1 _Here We Go Again_ belongs to Faust1812 (Do go check out his fic of the same name! It's awesome.). Many thanks them for the characters.**

 **Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 _Chapter 6: Special Region Coalition versus Allied Kingdoms_

 **Allied Kingdoms Main Camp, Arnus Province, March 2nd, 1000**

The allied lords were gathered inside their command tent and were going over the maps of Arnus Hill and various fragmented reports.

"How is this army a threat?" smugly asked King Artemis of Mudwan, "There are only 40 000 of them atop Arnus Hill."

"They have barely moved from the hill," remarked King Foerost of Alguna, "Have they been digging their own graves?"

"Something is not quite right here," noted Duke Hadrian of Ligu, "If there are only 40 000 enemy atop that hill, why hasn't the Imperial armies been able to drive them back across the Gate?"

"Pff... Molt's armies have grown soft ever since Prince Zorzal's conquest of the Vera kingdoms," explained the King of Mudwan. "That fool probably tried to have his little friends take command of the Imperial Army."

"I doubt that even the most foolish Imperial commander would have trouble taking a single hill."

It was King Duran that had just arrived in the tent.

"Welcome King Duran!" greeted Duke Hadrian as he shook the king's hand. "We were discussing the enemy army on Arnus Hill before you arrived."

"And how the Imperial army has had trouble taking back the hill from them." completed Duran. "How is this possible?"

"We do not know why the Imperials have had trouble," replied King Foerost, "The enemy is few in numbers with scouts stating they are merely 40 000 men."

"Perhaps the attacks were poorly led?" suggested King Artemis. "40 000 men would mean that there are two or three enemy legions atop Arnus Hill."

"Two well dug-in legions could give any unprepared attacker a lot of trouble," stated Duke Hadrian, "The hill is the highest point around here. Any piecemeal, uncoordinated attack would be easily driven back."

"Do we have word of the Imperial forces?" asked Duran, "Have they arrived yet?"

"A messenger arrived this morning. According to him, the Imperial forces should arrive tomorrow at damn on the eastern flank of the enemy's position. He will return when the Empire's troops will be in position"

"Thank you King Artemis."

The Allied Kings began to work out a plan for the assault on Arnus Hill. From what their scouts had gathered, the outworldly enemy had dug in and transformed their position into a massive network of earthworks and trenches. The enemy also flew in metal firebirds that roared through the skies as well as riding in flying chariots and iron pegasus. Something had them worried though. King Duran voiced his concerns first.

"I cannot but worry about this enemy," he said as he looked over the reports. "The scouts reported finding mass graves, abandoned Imperial weapons, a shattered camp and corpses."

"You make a good point King Duran," replied Duke Hadrian, "I cannot help wonder what kind of foe we face. The graves are well dug with some bearing the names of those died, whether commoner or noble which mean they have some honor."

"Yet the weapons and armour we found are in terrible shape," cut in King Foerost, "The damage done to them, we've never seen anything like it. Even the most gifted mages can't shatter and break metal in such fashion."

"They probably command dark magic seeing as how they consort with demons," theorized King Artemis, "The graves must be a ruse to lure us in a false sense of faith in their honor. If they have such power at their fingertips, they must not advance any further."

The other leaders agreed at this and returned to their work. After a few hours of planning and heated debates over the course to take, the kings were interrupted by a soldier entering their tent with a surprised expression on his face.

"Your highnesses!" greeted the man as he got on one knee and bowed to his lords. "I come with an urgent message."

"You may speak," demanded calmly King Foerost, "What is this urgent message?"

"My lords, the other worlders have sent a group of men to speak to you!" answered the soldier. "They would like to discuss with you."

"Discuss? What is there to discuss!" exclaimed arrogantly King Artemis. "Perhaps their surrender!"

"Perhaps it would be wise to listen to them," proposed King Duran, "It is strange that they have sent emissaries to speak to us on the eve of battle."

"I do not like the looks of this," replied Duke Hadrian, "The outworlders have, according to what we know, consorted with strange demons. Perhaps it is a ruse to kill us and destroy our armies' leadership."

"Duke Hadrian has a point, King Duran," added King Foerost, "If the outworlders are willing to bargain with demons, who knows how foul their ruses can be?"

"I understand your worries."

King Duran then looked at the waiting soldier.

"Tell them that the Allied Kingdoms and their Kings do not wish to speak to them."

"Yes your Highness!"

The messenger then bowed his head and left. As for the Allied Kingdom leaders, they returned to their planning. The first attacks would take place in two days since they would wait for the arrival of fresh Saderan forces as well as the armies of four other nations that had not yet fully arrived before launching a well coordinated assault on the hill.

 **Special Region Coalition Planning Room, FOB Arnus, 1200**

Hazama, Hancock and Maxwell were gathered in the planning room along with their aides and were looking at a map of the area as well as quickly going over the scouts' reports. Their envoy to the newly arrived armies had returned moments earlier with bad news. The newcomers, now identified as the Allied Kingdoms Army, had flat out refused to discuss with the Coalition's envoy.

"Arrogant bastards," remarked Hancock, "These idiots are gonna get themselves killed."

"Arrogant or not... we're gonna have to fight them." pointed out Maxwell.

The three officers and their aides began planning the defense of the hill. As they looked over the map, something odd came up. A fact that Hazama pointed out quickly.

"They appear to be massing on our western flank yet the eastern flank of the hill is completely clear."

"Maybe they forgot about it?" asked Maxwell. He wouldn't be surprised at this. The enemy's tactics and strategies in the past months were rather lackluster.

"I'd doubt it," replied Hancock, "Some of our boys have driven back some of their scouts in the past few days."

"Maybe they're waiting for reinforcements to attack from there?" proposed Hazama, "Try and encircle our position."

"Even so, we have more than enough firepower to get them before they reach our positions," stated Maxwell, "Maybe the infantry will get to fire a few rounds."

Hancock was looking at the map of the hill, his face in deep concentration as he devised a plan before suggesting his idea.

"Hmm, if the eastern part of the hill isn't covered by their forces, we could probably use that as a spring board to encircle them and force their surrender."

Hazama nodded in approval before giving his idea as well.

"Perhaps a show of force against them would be enough to persuade them to retreat. Have some of our armoured and air assets approach their camp and broadcast loud messages."

"That could be an interesting idea there Kōichirō. Perhaps a few warning shots from the artillery batteries if they don't turn away," added in Maxwell, "followed by a 24 hours ultimatum."

Hazama grunted in approval before looking over to his subordinates.

"Did the scouts note anything interesting?" he asked, "Anything important?"

Seeing his chance, a Lieutenant Yanagida began reading from a report and pointing various locations on a map.

"General, the Allied Kingdoms Army have their artillery placed here in their camp. As for their dragons riders, they are quartered in pens located here and here. Scout teams also reported large number of cavalry assets and war elephants. The pens and artillery depot could make prime targets for an pre-emptive artillery or air strike should we attack them or to weaken their forces if they attack us."

"Excellent thinking Lieutenant Yanagida!" praised Hazama.

The commanders and their staff then began planning the show of force as well a counter-offensive should the Allied Kingdoms attack.

 **Arnus Base Airstrip, March 3rd, 0700**

The roar of jet engines could be heard as fighters took off from the recently assembled airstrip. A group of JASDF F-4EJ Kai were taking off followed by a group of American and Canadian Hornets and Super Hornets. They were headed for the western flank of Arnus Hill where a possibly hostile camp had appeared.

 **Allied Kingdoms Main Camp, 0710**

The men of the Allied Kingdoms were starting their day. It had looked normal until a massive roar rang through the camp. The various men at arms of different kingdoms turned their eyes to the skies.

The sight awed them. A dozen of great metal birds of various shapes flew in tight formations. They seemed to ride on magical fire that pushed them gracefully through the skies. The dragon riders were the most shocked as they saw these metal birds of fire fly higher and faster than they could ever even dream. The allied kings and lords were awed as well. They had heard about some of this enemy's capabilities from their scouts but to witness it beforehand... it was humbling as well as terrifying. What would these invaders do to their kingdoms and people?

In this skies above, Captain Lamarre led his group of CF-188E's. They executed various manoeuvres over the camp part of the show of force that was planned against the Allied Kingdoms. If these idiots didn't turn away... a few thousand pounds of bombs would make them turn way.

That and the approaching armoured units. Lamarre spotted said units approaching the camp.

In the camp below, the men of the Allied Kingdoms heard various loud sounds coming from the front of their camp facing Arnus Hill. They heard the wail of a powerful gale mixed with mighty constant roars. It was followed by loud metal clanking. The kings and lords quickly mounted their horses to take place at the head of their forces and ordered their men to form up for battle. After a few moments, a loud voice filled their ears, speaking in their language.

"Turn back or stand down immediately!" demanded the voice, "We have no quarrels with the Allied Kingdoms but only with Emperor Molt and the Saderan Empire!"

The kings looked at each other in confusion. It was strange to say the least. But as they rode out of their camp, the sight in front of them was awe-inspiring. Large metal beasts of various colours and sizes were pointing their great snouts at the camp. Above them, flying metal chariots were flying in formation.

"You have until the next day to turn back, negociate or face the consequences of defying us!"

Just then, men poured from the back of some of the smaller beasts. They carried strange black staffs that they pointed towards the skies.

POW! POW! POW!

The strange staffs' tips flashed briefly as the sound of thunder came from them. Some of the men at arms and their kings recoiled at the loud noise. The ground then shook as the beasts unleashed their fire magic. Large plumes of dirt were kicked up by fireballs that appeared near the Allied Kingdom's army followed by other blasts that caused thick white smoke to appear.

The metal beasts and their men then turned around and left but not before leaving another message.

"Turn back or stand down before we destroy you!"

For the Allied kings, this was unsettling. Many of them had been tested in battles before but never had they faced such an enemy. One that ruled the heavens with such ease and commanded such might on the ground.

The kings and their armies quickly turned back to their camp, shaken by what they witnessed. A meeting between the leaders took place in the main command tent. It soon degenerated into heated arguments between them.

"It is obvious what we must do," declared King Artemis, "We must fight them despite all. We cannot risk them marching over our lands, plundering and enslaving our people!"

He was joined by King Foerost and Duke Hadrian.

"I agree with King Artemis! What terrible fate will they bring to our kingdoms? We have seen what they can do. It would be massacre after massacre if they bear their power against our people."

"As Duke of Ligu, I fear that we have no choice but to fight them here. At least slow them or stop them here. With the might of the Imperial army massing on their eastern flank, we should overwhelm them, magic or not."

King Duran did not share the same feeling as their counterparts. Something didn't quite work in his mind.

"It is rather strange that they have not attacked us earlier," he stated, " With all this might in their hands, they could have easily crushed us before hand. It's also rather unusual for an invader to attempt to open discussions on the eve of battle."

"Perhaps it is a ruse to divide us," suggested Duke Hadrian, "Convince us to abandon our oaths to the Empire and leave them to die against the invaders. Afterwards, they would attack each of our lands separately while our armies would be far apart."

"Duke Hadrian's argument makes a good point," reasoned King Artemis, "Better we fight them here and avoid bring the battles to our lands. Especially as the harvest is coming soon."

King Foerost grunted before throwing in his opinion

"If such a war could reach our homes, the devastation could bring untold starvation to our subjects."

"Have you not thought of what would happen should many of our men not return home?" argued King Duran, "The fields would not have enough men to be tended and harvested them and many of the crops would be wasted."

"Are you suggesting retreating in the face of the enemy King Duran?" sneered Duke Hadrian, "Has the Lion of Elbe gone soft in his old age?" he mocked.

"Duran, are you foolish enough to forsake your oaths to the Empire?!" exclaimed King Artemis, "I do not wish to draw swords against you should Emperor Molt bring you to justice."

"King Duran, your army is renowned on the continent for its discipline and iron might," declared Duke Hadrian, "If you are to leave now, it would surely weaken our forces and bring defeat to us."

"I am not retreating in the face of a dangerous enemy that threatens our lands," defended Duran, "However, I am not one to charge in blindly at the enemy! Such recklessness only leads to useless losses to our armies."

The other lords fell silent at this declaration. They knew that the Lion of Elbe had lost his eye in a catastrophic defeat in his youth. Ever since then, he had worked himself hard to master strategy and tactics to avoid another similar incident. As such, he had earned a well known reputation as a brillant and cunning leader as well a fierce one.

"I suggest that we take a more cautious approach." suggested Duran, "We should start with small probing attacks before committing the entirety of our forces. As such, we can see exactly what their weapons and creatures can do. Afterwards, we can adopt a more proper strategy that is adapted to our enemy."

His counterparts nodded in approval at his suggestion before Duke Hadrian spoke.

"King Duran, the Imperial courier should have arrive tomorrow morning. We should inform him so that he may transmit our plans to the Imperial Commander."

"A wise idea," complimented Duran, "Let us hope that he is smart enough to understand our decision."

 **FOB Arnus, March 4th, 1200**

The Coalition troops were on high alert. Their enemy had launched an attack with roughly 10 000 men. Meanwhile, a few jets had been scrambled, loaded for bear while the artillerymen were calculating their firing solutions. Meanwhile tank crews were readying their vehicles as they looked through their targeting optics for targets to engage. The infantry poured into their trenches, weapons ready to repel the approaching foe. Anti-aircraft pieces were manned and prepared for enemy air attacks.

In one of the trenches held by the Van Doos, JGSDF infantry and Marines, Itami was readying himself to fire. In the past weeks, he and some of his fellow Japanese had grown to envy his American and Canadian counterparts for their rifles and optics.

' _Have to admit they got better weapons then we do'_

He was snapped out of his musings by the sound of artillery being unleashed. His iron sights were proving to be inadequate for the task at hand unlike the Marines' ACOG and the Canadians' Elcan C79. But his Type 64 had to make do. Itami could also hear speakers broadcasting appeals to the enemy army demanding their withdrawal.

It didn't deter their foe as soon after, the sound of heavy artillery fire could be heard.

 **10km from FOB Arnus, 1205**

The Allied kings were observing the advancing vanguard of their armies as well as Arnus Hill from atop a nearby hill. They sound heard the sound of thunder come from Arnus Hill after seeing brief flashes of light. Before any of them could understand what had happened, large fireballs had erupted in their advancing forces tearing them apart and driving them back. Great clouds of black smoke covered the battlefield as the ground continue to erupt for a few moments.

"Has Arnus Hill erupted?" asked a shocked Duran.

"I think not, the hill is still intact." answered Duke Hadrian after throwing a quick look at the hill, "This must their sorcery!"

Suddenly, metal birds roared above the vanguard. Some had cause more fireballs to appear in the Allied armies while others roared and unleashed a trail of lightning that ripped through the mass of men and creatures that formed the Allied vanguard.

"What have they done to our men?!" cried out King Artemis, "We must see what happened to our men. Come!" he ordered as he took off on his horse followed shortly after by his counterparts.

After a short ride, the kings found themselves before the retreating vanguard. The sight shocked them. Of the 10 000 men at arms that had formed the initial probing force, only 1000 returned. They were covered in soot, blood and dirt and many were carrying their horrendously wounded comrades. One of the unit captains, eyes wide after seeing such devastation, limped to the kings. His dirty face was contorted in barely contained pain as he began to describe the fate of the initial vanguard.

"Your highnesses, I cannot find words to describe the horror that befell upon us."

There was tears in his eyes and a brief groan before he continued his painful description.

"Our men were torn apart before they could understand what happened. Our shields and armour were useless, the fire tore through them like a knife through cloth. Testudos were shattered with ease. Many fell not knowing what hit us and many still litter the ground around the hill."

The kings gasped at the description of the horror that the captain gave.

"What of the Imperial army?" urgently asked Duke Hadrian, "How have they fared against this foe?"

"Your Highness, the Imperial army is missing," answered the captain before he was met by another question from the duke.

"Missing? Surely you mean destroyed as well?"

The tired man shook his head before answering.

"Your highness, we have not seen a single Imperial soldier take part in the battle."

"How is this possible?" asked King Foerost. "Have they abandoned us against the enemy?"

"I do not know your Highness but I wish to rest now."

King Duran motioned for the man to leave before turning to the other allied leaders.

"The situation has gotten graver then I first thought. We must return to the camp and plan accordingly."

The others nodded in agreement before urgently heading back to their camp.

After another urgent ride, the kings reached their destination. More thunder could be heard from Arnus Hill. Many of the vanguard survivors were the first to jump for cover, whimpering in fear of the enemy's wrath. The blasts came but instead of great fireballs, it was thick, white clouds of smoke that covered the camp. After, strange bits of white parchment could be found on the ground.

King Artemis was the first one to pick one up and began to read from it as he realized it was written in impeccable Saderan while the others lords looked at him.

"We are the armies of the sovereign nations of Ja-Pan, the United States of A-merry-Ka and Ka-na-da. The Empire of Emperor Molt Sol Augustus has attacked the land of Ja-Pan and thus our coalition was formed to bring him to justice for the deaths of our people."

"What are they talking about?" asked Duke Hadrian, "As far as we know, Emperor Molt didn't attack or declare war on anything recently. Not after the conquest of the Vera lands."

"Emperor Molt would not stoop as low as to attack a nation without declaring war on them before them." added King Foerost. "He is power hungry but not mad or foolish. Perhaps a ruse to divide and weaken us. What else do they say?"

King Artemis resumed his reading.

"We do not wish to bring needless bloodshed to the armies of the Allied Kingdoms. It is instead with the Saderan Empire that we are at war. Turn back now, negotiate or prepare to be annihilated."

Duran let out a grunt of disgust before talking.

"Annihilated? I would rather die here fighting them then let these monsters march over the lands of Elbe or be tricked by these serpents' lies into abandoning the field to them.

The others nodded in agreement.

 **Coalition trenches, Arnus Hill, March 4th, 1430**

It had been over an hour since the Allied Kingdom launched a small scale attack that had been repelled by the Coalition artillerymen. Kinh was sitting in a trench, annoyed. Despite the enemy being beaten back, the brass had forced them to stay in their defensive positions.

In order to make time pass, he decided to write in his small journal. His last entries were rather dull to read. The journal entry he was writing summed the situation so far and how exciting it was.

 _March 4th_ , _20XX_

 _Roses are red_

 _Violets are blue_

 _I'm stuck in fucking Falmart_

 _AND SO ARE FUCKING YOU!_

Such was reality in the Canadian Forces. You were paid to wait for something to happen so that when something happened, you were paid to wait to do something about it. Kinh knew that reality and just grunted his annoyance as he closed his journal.

 **FOB Arnus, March 5th, 1000**

The sound of artillery batteries firing resounded through the Coalition's base while jets were being scrambled again. Amongst them, four A-10's were preparing to take off. They had instrumental in defending the Coalition's positions. According to forward observers, the Allied Kingdoms were preparing to launch a coordinated, large scale attack.

Meanwhile, in the Allied camp, men were readying themselves for battle. Armor was being put on, swords and spears checked one last time. Battle mages quickly revised their spells. Dragon riders, horsemen and elephant riders prepared to get on their mounts. The artillerymen and siege engineers were readying themselves as they did last minute inspections of their catapults, onagers and ballistae. Suddenly, the sound of thunder followed by whistling could be heard coming from atop Arnus. The men of the Allied Kingdoms knew what this meant. It was the enemy's fire magic... Very quickly, the men at arms and their leaders threw themselves to the ground, hoping that death would not claim them.

Loud explosions and fireballs shook the camp. The sound of men screaming and wood shattering could be heard as well followed. After a few minutes, the bombardment ceased and the damage was evident to the kings as they rode around their camp, surveying the damage done. They saw what the enemy had done their camp. Their artillery had been reduced to little more than firewood while their crews and siege engineers lay dead or cried in pain. The horrified kings rode to the other part of the camp that had been hit.

They realized it was the dragon pens and dragon rider quarters that were the other target. As they rode there, they saw that most of the dragons had been reduced to a pulp while their riders fared no better. In the minds of the allied kings, they had lost the control of the skies to the enemy.

Meanwhile, their men were working to get as many of the wounded to already overloaded surgeons. The kings could only look powerlessly at the scene unfurling before them.

Despite this, however, they wordlessly agreed to carry on their plan. No matter the cost, the monsters that appeared atop Arnus Hill needed to be stopped with or without the Imperial legions.

 **Coalition Trenches, 1300**

The Coalition troops manning their trenches were on full alert. The enemy had launched a full scale assault with 300 000 men towards their positions. Unlike the previous attacks, this one was well organised with the enemy forces attacking from three directions and scattered as to mitigate the effects of artillery and aerial bombardment.

Meanwhile, American and Japanese attack helicopters were taking off from the helipads and headed towards the Allied Kingdoms Armies, loaded for bear. The Coalition jets were already raining hell on the enemy. The now familiar roar of the A-10's Avenger cannons filled the air as they poured death into the Allied Kingdoms' ranks.

Despite this gauntlet of heavy ordnance, some of the Allied Kingdoms' troops had managed to make it through, thanks to sheer weight of number. Soon, the first enemy soldiers were in range of the Coalition's small arms. However, they could move no further as they ran into strange hedges of metal coil that impeded their movements. Those who tried to move these hedges realized that they were sharp and cut through the flesh of their hands. Before they could figure out a solution, loud, continuous bangs could be heard from the top of the hill crest and brief but multiple flashes of light could seen followed by lightning that streaked downhill.

The men closest to the wire fell first, dead, dying or injured as the enemy magic punched through their shields and armour with impunity.

One of the Elbe kingdom's battlemages saw a massive iron monster from atop the hill that threw fire at his fellow soldiers. Thinking quickly, he summoned a fireball and threw it at the creature.

A squad of entrenched Marines were pouring fire into the oncoming hordes of men and beasts, supported by a tan M1A1 Abrams named _Here We Go Again_ , suddenly saw a fireball head towards their position.

"INCOMING!" shouted Jimmy before he and his fellow Marines threw themselves on the ground. They felt the heat of the fireball pass over their heads before impacting the front plate of the tank. Quickly coming back to their senses, they realized that there was only a black scorch mark and that the tank was otherwise undamaged.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" shouted Dick as he, Jimmy and the rest of the Marines resumed engaging the enemy.

Whoever threw that was going to have a very bad day as the 70 ton behemoth swung its main gun towards the source of the offending magic and began unleashing a salvo of suppressive fire before throwing a HEAT shell downrange.

The Elbian battlemage was shocked when the beast kept on throwing its magic despite his most powerful fire spell. He threw up a shield bubble only to see the lightning punch through. The next thing the nearby Elbian soldiers saw was a massive blast engulfing the unfortunate wizard and those around him. Just what power did these outworldly invaders command?

The Allied Kingdoms troops that assaulted Arnus Hill broke and began fleeing for their lives. Many dropped their weapons as they ran for their lives, not caring for the punishments they would have to endure afterwards. The routed men could hear the sound of their wounded crying for help. Many were left behind as there were simply too many injured. The valleys around Arnus Hill had rapidly become killing fields were death claimed the lives of the Allied soldiers with frightening ease and where the sound of agonizing men were only interrupted by the sound of the enemy's magic.

On a nearby hill, the kings could only stare in horror as their assault faltered and their armies. It was incomprehensible as each one of their thrusts were being crushed with ease, no matter from where they attacked. The initial plan was to assault the hill from three different angles with scattered formations of men and beasts but it was falling apart before the lords' eyes. They could see the same great metal birds that appeared earlier reap the souls of the men with terrifying ease and insatiable appetite awhile the lightning that appeared from the sides of the hill torn apart entire formations. The deadly fireballs were still doing their gruesome work.

 _'What kind of mages are we facing?'_ wondered Duran as he saw the carnage unfold before him. He dreaded what would happen to his people once this army started marching from Arnus and over Falmart.

' _They must not be allowed to march over my lands.'_

Images of his burning capital and dying people ran through his mind. The mere thought hardened his resolve to continue fighting.

Dragons, battlemages, monstrous creatures and war elephants were absolutely irrelevant in this battle as they were cut down by the invaders' might. In some case, larger creatures such as the ogres and elephants proved to be more dangerous to their own men then their foes as the sheer terror overwhelmed their instincts causing them to panic and run amok in the middle of the Allied Armies' ranks.

"Iron pegasus, flying chariots, and metal firebirds... just we have provoked into open war?" asked a horrified Duke Hadrian as cold sweat drenched him, "How can we face such might?"

"I do not know Duke," calmly answered King Duran. He hid his own fear as he spoke yet there was a slight tremor in his hands. "We must do whatever we can to prevent them from marching over our lands."

After an hour, the Allied Kingdoms Armies had retreated to their camp, badly mauled by the powers that held Arnus Hill. As for the Coalition troops, after the initial adrenaline rush of being attacked wore out, it merely turned into large scale target practice.

Kinh was walking down the trench he was in. It was filled with troops being rotated out. His platoon was being relieved by another unit. As he exited the trenches, he spotted Itami and Jimmy. Both looked weary as they trudged out of their positions.

"Hey guys," called out Kinh awkwardly, "Hum, how are you guys holding up?"

Jimmy drew a cigarette from one of his pouch and lit it before taking a long puff.

"Man, I feel like I did the biggest turkey shoot in my life," he sighed, "This is a joke bro. They can't even fight back."

"Meh, at the rate they've been losing men, this war's gonna be in a few weeks." quipped Itami. "How many more casualties can they take before their armies are all gone?"

"That's the thing Itami..." tiredly replied Kinh. "They'd probably just throw whatever unfortunate dumbasses they can get at us. You've probably just jinxed us and made this war longer. Thanks tabarnak!"

Itami got a slap on the back of his head, courtesy of Jimmy.

"HEY! What was that for?!"

"Moron... stop jinxing us."

The two North Americans laughed a bit at Itami's predicament as they moved back to their transports.

 **Special Region Coalition Planning Room, Arnus Hill, 1600**

The Coalition commanders were revising their final plan. For the past few hours, they had been working on their counterattack against the Allied Kingdoms. The plan was fairly simple and would take advantage of the Coalition's speed and technological superiority.

The Coalition ground troops would launch an attack from the eastern slope of Arnus Hill and advance as quickly as possible and catch their enemy's unguarded flanks during the dead of the night.

The assault would led by the Leopards of the _Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)_ and the Abrams of the Marines' recently arrived 2nd Tank Battalion. They would be followed by infantryman from the JGSDF's 1st Division, 3rd Marine Regiment and finally the Van Doos.

Casualty estimates for the Allied Kingdoms had been staggering as their large scale assault faltered in the face of modern firepower. Conservative estimates had estimated 90 000 enemy casualties. However, UAVs had reported that the enemy was not letting go and that their camp was still present.

 **Allied Kingdom Main camp, 1700**

The Allied kings were once more reunited in their command tent. Despair and helplessness were apparent on their faces. They had witnessed the destruction of their armies' core in brutal fashion and had so little of their initial strength left. They were now stuck in a heated debate about the next course of action.

"This is absolute madness! We cannot stay here!" shouted King Artemis. "Half of my army is dead or wounded!"

"We cannot withdraw!" yelled back King Foerost. "The enemy is still in control of Arnus Hill. From there, they can still threaten our lands!"

"Curse you Molt for sending us here!" cursed Duke Hadrian. "Coward wants us to die here!

"Gentlemen, we must calm down!" demanded Duran as he raised a hand. "Arguing right now only wastes our time and strength."

The others uneasily calmed down before Duran started speaking again.

"Tonight is a new moon, therefore any night attack would be obscured. If we attack swiftly enough, our forces should be able to reach the eastern side of the hill and surprise them."

"But Lord Duran, I do not think we have enough able leaders to command such an attack." stated dejectedly Duke Hadrian. "Too many of our skilled officers are dead or wounded."

"That is why I will lead the attack myself." declared boldly Duran. "If I die and join my ancestors, it will be because I fought to keep my people safe."

The other leaders were silent for a moment as they looked at him. Finally, Duke Hadrian was the first to answer.

"King Duran, I would very much like to follow you into such an attack."

He was soon followed by the other kings pledging to do the same.

 **Eastern slope of Arnus Hill, 2130**

The sound of tank engines could be heard as Coalition armour and mechanized infantry advanced on the slopes.

Sitting atop a hatch in one of the Lord Strathcona's Leopard 2A6, Major Charlotte Martins received a transmission from Command.

"Arnus Command to all units. New information. Enemy forces are advancing on the Eastern flank of the hill and are headed towards your position!"

"This is Bravo squadron actual, solid copy! Preparing to engage!"

It was soon followed by detailed reports on the enemy's movements. The major quickly started issuing orders and coordinating manoeuvres with the other units involved in the assault.

Meanwhile, the Allied Kings were riding alongside their respective armies. They were doing their best to move as quietly possible. Various captains and sergeants whispered to their men to be careful in their steps. No one carried torches as they did their best to make sure that they would not be seen.

Unfortunately for them, the Coalition had night vision technology and flares. Said flares had been launched and now exposed the advancing Allied armies.

The men were momentarily surprised before being broken out of their stupor by their kings urging them to move faster. They could also hear strange chopping sounds from the skies drawing closer.

Basked in the unnatural light that appeared in the sky above him, King Duran had pushed on his horse and began yelling orders at his men.

"All units advance! Knights advance! Footmen advance!"

The Lion of Elbe had taken the lead of his army which was beginning to catch up. The sound of musicians and unit leaders ordering a rapid advance broke the silent march of the Allied armies. To their horror and surprise, flashes of light appeared on their flank while flying chariots began to attack them as well.

Duran's luck ran out as his horse was caught in barbed wire and thrown off. His men rushed to his aid. They ingeniously placed their shields on the wire as an improvised bridge. As they picked up, he pushed them aside and ordered to run.

"Retreat you fools! Retreat!"

His orders were lost in the chaos and a few units had formed shields walls in front of them. The sound and light of the enemy's sorcery began to rain down, piercing through the formations.

His men were dying around him and Duran was powerless to stop them. Out of anger, he picked up a bow and arrow from one of his fallen men before moving forward and launching an arrow.

"BASTARDS!"

He could only watch powerlessly as the arrow fell short.

"How could this have happened?"

He began to laugh at the madness of the situation before him before he felt heat engulf his body and pain hitting his left limbs before his world went black.

Behind him, the other Allied kings were faring little better. Duke Hadrian was riding amongst the ranks of his men, trying to restore order. His horse gave under him and pinned him beneath the dying animal's weight. The surviving men around him were starting to run for their lives while the cries of the wounded could be heard.

 _'Is this how I die?'_ briefly wondered the Duke while he lay there. He had seen King Artemis fall from his horse earlier. The man had been struck down by an enemy projectile and was agonizing as well.

King Foerost had managed to reach the wire and was urging his men to push beyond the enemy's metal hedges only to realize his terrible mistake. His troops had managed to make crossings by pressing down on the hedges with the shields but their enemy had concentrated their fire on the crossings, mowing down his forces like wheat. He suddenly felt a sharp jab of pain hit his arm while his horse collapsed, dead.

Seconds seemed to turn minutes and minutes felt like hours for the wounded kings and their men. Amongst them was a wounded Elbian soldier named Oswin lying on his back. He had been hit in his arm and chest.

' _To think that I joined for adventure and riches,'_ he bitterly thought, ' _Now I'm dying against outworldly monsters.'_

He had witnessed the carnage inflicted on his fellows over the past hour. It was simply a nightmare. The farmer's son merely cursed the Gods for his fate. The enemy's death magic suddenly ceased. Had they grown tired of killing, having claimed enough souls to slake the hunger of their gods?

Instead, he heard some kind of howling mixed with the sound of metal clanking. Were the outworlders bringing their beasts to feast upon the injured and dead? He turned his head to the source of the commotion. He saw human-like silhouettes that carried long staffs in their hands that were accompanied by horseless wagons with bright lights. Some had unnatural eyes that brightly glowed green while others had light coming from their hands.

' _Mages? Just what kind of mages are they?'_ he wondered. ' _Why have they come?'_

His train of thought was interrupted when he heard a strange chopping noise coming from the skies. He saw large flying chariots that landed in front of the mass of wounded and dead men. Oswin heard strange voices shouting. It was the otherworlders and they were getting closer.

Kinh and Brisebois had been walking through the field with their platoon. It unnerved him to see so many wounded or dead men. He had already seen a dead man once before but a whole battlefield worth of them? It was a whole other thing that made him sick. He managed to keep himself from throwing up.

 _'How the hell did Dad use an M60 on people?'_

"Allright people!" he ordered, "Try to help as many as you can! Command's sending helicopters and ambulances to bring the wounded back to base for treatment!"

As he looked around, he could see his men helping out the wounded, many of whom were terrified.

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"Tabarnak! What we just done?"

"La guerre (A war)! La fucking guerre!" answered Kinh. He noticed a wounded man in front of him. He was bleeding from his arm and chest.

"MEDIC! WE GOT A WOUNDED OVER HERE!" shouted the Vietnamese-Canadian before he moved over to the injured man. He looked at the unfortunate man, pitying him.

Oswin was petrified and surprised at the same time when one of the outworlders was standing next to him and looked at him. The outworlders were human! Strangely dressed and equipped but still human. To his surprise, the mage had begun to bandage his wound. He then began to talk to him.

"Don't worry, we are going to help you my friend," promised Kinh. "You'll be all right."

"Thank you," croaked Oswin. It made very little sense to him that an army would spend so much time helping their wounded enemy. He suddenly saw two other of the mages come up and the first mage talking to them in their language. He assumed the first one was a leader of some kind.

The other mage began check Oswin's body and asked him questions about his injuries. Oswin did his best to answer before he asked his own.

"Who are you?"

The three looked at each other. The first to answer was the man that was bandaging him.

"I'm Corporal Frederic Tremblay."

"Corporal André Brisebois."

"Lieutenant Kinh-Luyên Huynh. We are from the Royal 22e Régiment of Canada. What's your name?" kindly asked the Canadian officer.

"I'm Oswin Co Adernach."

"Well Oswin, you'll be allright now." reassured Corporal Tremblay. He turned around and signaled to a pair of soldiers carrying a stretcher.

Not far from there, Jimmy and his men were getting a dead horse off a blond man in ornate pale green armour with gold trimming after confiscating the man's weapons. He was considered a VIP judging by his elaborate armour. After the horse was removed, the VIP was rapidly taken into custody by helicopter.

 **Interrogation room, FOB Arnus, March 6th, 1000**

Duke Hadrian was sitting despondently in a bright lit, white room with mirrors on one of the walls. He had spent the past days since his capture after the disastrous night assault on Arnus Hill in a holding cell. Thousands of questions ran through his mind ranging on what could have they done better to what fate awaited him.

After his capture, he had been stripped of his armour and had replaced it by bright orange clothes. He was checked by the enemy's healers for his injuries before being thrown into a holding cell and asked a few questions about his identity. It surprised him. The cell was well lit, had decent accommodation and strange devices from which water flowed freely.

 _'Probably to better ransom me,'_ he grimly reflected.

Earlier this morning, however, he had been escorted by two of the enemy soldiers to this room. He was told that he was meeting important people from the other world. The door opened, revealing two green clothed mages followed by three older men wearing far more elegant clothing. Their clothes varied greatly as well as their appearance.

Leading them was a brown haired, yellow skinned man with a thick mustache. He had the aura of a leader and was dressed in simple but elegant green clothes with a few insignias and medals adorning his chest. On his head sat a green hat with golden embroidery and large badge in the center of the hat.

On his left side stood a very dark skinned, grey haired man. His dark skin made Duke Hadrian briefly wonder if he was a Dark Elf but his round ears and rough face said otherwise. The dark man wore a far more elaborate set of clothing. His set of clothes was a magnificent black with evenly spaced gold buttons that shone brightly and had a white cap with an ornate crest. On his white pants, two bright red stripes ran down the length of his leg. What impressed Duke Hadrian was the man's many medals, ribbons and decorations. Whoever this was, he was clearly a proven leader.

Finally, the last man was a pale skinned man with dark hair and sharp grey eyes. He wore glasses and was dressed in elaborate dark green clothes. Underneath his dark green jacket was a light green shirt with a black piece of cloth tied in an elaborate knot while the collars of his jacket had insignias on them as well. His sleeves were adorned with small insignias written in a different language. On his head was a strange fur hat with a badge on it. Though nowhere near as many as the dark skinned man, he too bore many marks of honor on his chest that indicated his skill and experience as a leader of men.

The three men took their seats in front of Duke Hadrian while the two other mages took their seats on the side. The leader began to talk and one of the mage began to translate what he said.

"I am Lieutenant-General Kōichirō Hazama of the JGSDF and commander of the Special Region Task Force," spoke the general before introducing his other colleagues, "This is Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Hancock of the United States Marine Corps and General Francis Maxwell of the Canadian Armed Forces."

"I am Duke Hadrian of Ligu," nervously answered the prisonner.

"Very well, Duke," replied Hancock, "We have questions for you. Why have the Allied Kingdoms attacked us?"

Sensing as he had no choice, the Duke swallowed his pride before he started talking.

"We had been summoned by our liege lord, Emperor Molt Sol Augustus of the Sadernan Empire. He told us of an army that marched alongside demons that threatened Falmart."

To his surprise, the enemy leaders looked at each other in curiosity for a brief moment and muttered something to each other in their language. Whatever they said, it sounded that they were surprised.

"Very well," started Maxwell, "What can you tell us of Emperor Molt's attack on Japan?"

The duke's face took an expression of confusion.

"Of what attack do you speak? The Saderan Empire has not been at war for a few years."

Hazama let out a grunt before explaining the situation.

"Nearly six months ago, a strange Gate appeared in the capital of my country, Japan. Men and beasts poured from that Gate and attacked my people as well as many others from our world. Many have been taken by his armies. The unknown army was defeated by our three nations. We identified them as being from the Saderan Empire led by Emperor Molt Sol Augustus. Three months, we crossed the Gate to seek reparations and have been fighting the Empire ever since. We suspect that most of their armies have decimated by our forces with ease in the past months."

Duke Hadrian let out a shocked gasp at the implications and the pieces started falling into place. If what this man said was true...

"The Allied Kingdoms have been sent to their deaths. We have been lied to and sent to die so that Molt could sleep at night without worrying about us turning upon him."

"It appears so," stated Maxwell, "You have been caught in a war that was never yours."

The noble nodded at this.

"Yes," he sighed tiredly, "What is going to happen next? Am I to be ransomed along with my men?"

Hazama gave a kind smile before talking.

"Ransoms are no longer used by the civilized nations of our world, Earth. We would rather have your nation become neutral in our war against the Saderan Empire."

"Surely you deceive me!"

For Duke Hadrian, such an offer was unheard of. No victor would forfeit the chance of breaking his enemy and make a vassal out of him.

"We are sincere in our desire for peace," stated Hancock, "There are too many dead around Arnus already and we do not wish to increase that number."

"Surely, there's must be something I can offer you? Perhaps my Duchy could become a vassal of the nation of Japan?" proposed the duke. To him, Japan was a liege nation that had summoned its vassals and dependant nations to its aid. The next thing he would hear from these otherworlders would surprise him.

"No, the concept of vassals is not longer used on Earth," explained Maxwell, "We only have allied nations. However, seeing as how we have fought mere days ago, our governments would not accept an alliance for the moment."

"Perhaps you could give us information?" suggested Hancock.

"Information? What could I possibly offer you?" The duke was perplexed. These otherworlders commanded such might. How could they need information?

"We haven't had much chance to explore this world since we were stuck fighting here for the past few months. It would make our task much easier your Highness," explained Hazama, "We would also like to have any news that you may have or will hear about slaves that were taken from our world."

The duke weighed his options before giving his answer. He was in a bad place and couldn't make many demands but his enemies seemed to be rather merciful so far.

"Very well, I will offer you what you want," finally answered Duke Hadrian, "However, I want something in exchange."

"Yes?" asked Hazama.

"I would like to have all the men of the Allied Kingdoms released. It is soon harvest season and many of them are farmers. I would also like to know the fate of the other kings."

The Coalition commanders smiled before Hazama reassured the man.

"Duke Hadrian, you do not need to worry. We have taken many of the wounded under our care including the other kings. They are to be treated as per our Geneva Convention. We'll release them to your care after they are properly healed. Unfortunately many were seriously injured and will need to stay under our care before they are released."

"Gen-nee-va convention?"

"It is a sort of treaty in our world that all the nations of Earth signed. It means that any enemy combatant taken prisoner is to be treated humanely and obliges us to aid any non-combatant." explained Hancock.

"Hu-ma-ne-ly?" The term was completely foreign to the Duke. He received his answer from Maxwell.

"It means that we treat them as if they were our own people, soldiers, kin and family. As such, all the Allied Kingdom leaders and soldiers have been receiving the best of care for their injuries both physical and mental. We were forced to end many of their lives as many were in such a bad shape that we could not heal. Letting them agonize would have brought unneeded suffering for them. Unfortunately, there are many that have been severely wounded and will have to remain in our care much longer seeing as we possess much better means. Without offense your Highness."

"None taken, General Maxwell." chuckled Duke Hadrian. If these battlemages were telling the truth, they would be well amongst the most honorable men he met. "Would it possible for me to visit some of the wounded and the other kings as well?"

"That can be arranged." replied Hazama. He motioned to the two JGSDF soldiers and gave them orders before turning back to Duke Hadrian. "These two soldiers here will escort you through our base to our field hospital so that you may visit your wounded."

"Thank you."

The three officers then left the interrogation room while the two guards led Duke Hadrian to the field hospital. While they walked there, the noble was awed by the sights he saw. From the strange material that composed the walls to the strange glow coming from the ceiling that brought light to the building, the duke knew that these people were far more advanced. He could see other of these mages working in small square offices. He decided to risk asking his guards a question as they walked in the hallways.

"Where did you learn to use such magic? None of our mages can do such feats of magic."

The two guards looked at each other, clearly confused as to what to answer the man. Finally one spoke up.

"No your Highness, it's not magic, it's called science and technology."

"Sci-ence? Tech-no-lo-gy?" asked the duke. The two Japanese looked at each other, uncertain how to explain the two concepts and tried to find the words on how to explain the concepts.

"How the hell do we explain science and technology to this guy?"

"Beats me man." answered the second soldier. "Never thought I'd be explaining that to someone when I joined the military."

The noble looked in confusion at the two mages were speaking in their own language, clearly trying to figure out what to say to him. Finally, as they exited the building, one attempted to explain the concepts of science and technology.

His explanation stunned the Duke of Ligu. These men were soldiers... not mages. Their magic wasn't really magic but just very advanced weapons that they made using the knowledge from their science and technology. Their honesty surprised him as well as the sights outside the building he was in. He presumed it was some sort of prison.

As the three men walked outside, Duke Hadrian could see what kind of enemy he was fighting. Men wearing various different uniforms were marching around the base, tending to their daily tasks while roars came from the enemy's flying metal creatures that streaked through the skies above him. He saw three different flags hanging from flag posts. He asked his guards what nations flew them. The two men explained that they were from the nations of Japan, who led this coalition, the United States of America, the most powerful nation of Earth that was a long time Japanese ally and, finally, Canada, a close ally and the northern neighbor of the United States.

He was finally led to a large building with two large red crosses on a white square that painted next to the entrance that he presumed was their field hospital. The two soldiers guarding him confirmed this. When they finally entered, the sight he saw amazed him. The wounded Allied kingdoms soldiers were lying on simple beds that had been arranged in neat rows. Many had strange devices and masks attached to them while healers wearing various uniforms were helping them. The duke could see some of them feed what seemed to be warm food to men that were too hurt or weak. It was also extraordinarily clean.

Two of these healers approached and greeted them the duke and his guards. Both had strange, flexible tubular devices hanging around their necks. One was an older man with dark, greying hair while the other was a very tall, dark haired woman with kind blue eyes. The two guards quickly talked to them and turned back to the duke. The woman introduced herself while the two guards served as translators.

"Your Highness, I am Sergeant First Class Mari Kurokawa. I have been told by my superiors to have you visit our main hospital and take you to the other kings."

"Very well," answered the duke before asking a question that had been on his mind since his capture. "Are they well?"

"They are mostly doing well and resting after surgery," explained Kurokawa, "One of them has been severely injured. According to what we know, he is King Duran of Elbe."

The duke gasped at this new information. First of all, what was surgery and second, what happened to King Duran?

"Can you tell happened to him?" urgently asked the duke.

"He was caught in an explosion that tore off his left arm and leg," stated the sergeant, "Some of our soldiers found him and brought him to us. He has been unconscious since then."

"But will he live?"

"Surprisingly, yes," replied Kurokawa, "He's extremely resilient."

The duke chuckled at this remark. King Duran was a man that survived terrible battles against the barbarians and monsters that threatened his land.

"Very well, follow me your highness."

 **FOB Arnus, March 12th, 1300**

A large group of reporters had just arrived from Japan. They had finally been authorized by the Coalition to arrive in Falmart to keep the folks informed about the going on. Amongst them, stood the CBC's East Asian correspondent, Ronny Marinin and his cameraman Eric Wong.

"This is Ronny Marinin. I am currently live from the Special Region Coaltion's base of Arnus Hill. We are waiting for General Hazama's announcement."

From his earpiece, he heard his colleague and news anchorman of _The_ _National_ , Peter Mansbridge, talk to him.

"So Ronny, what can you tell us so far about the situation in the Special Region."

"We've only arrived this morning. From what I've heard from the troops that I managed talk to, they've been pushing constant attacks for the past three months with no casualties what so ever so far."

"Any news from the kidnapped people?"

"From what I can understand, they haven't been able to move from here since they have arrived... Wait! General Hazama has just arrived with the rest of the Coalition commanders!"

The cameraman turned his camera towards where the general was. The commander began his announcement.

"As you may have already heard, the Saderan Empire has been attacking our position for the past three months with signs of weaknesses appearing only this week. They have summoned other nations of their world to engage us in battle."

He paused to point towards a series of captured banners.

"These are the banners of the Allied Kingdoms. They are led by three states: The Kingdoms of Alguna, Elbe, Mudwan and the Duchy of Ligu. In the past few days, their armies have been routed with ease and we have captured their leaders after a disastrous assault. They are currently in our custody and have revealed much information about this world and its politics."

The sound of cameras taking pictures of the banners could be heard.

"As it would seem, none of these vassals of the Saderan Empire have knowledge of the Imperial attack upon Japan during the Ginza Incident. Unfortunately, that means they do not know the fate of the people that were kidnapped during the incident. Interrogation of their leaders have revealed that they have been tricked into attacking our forces. After discussions, they have agreed to stay neutral in our war against the Saderan Empire and have expressed their wishes for further discussions with our world. I will now take any questions you may have."

Various reporters began raising their hands for questions. Ronny had an important question for the man.

"How can we trust these kings? The Coalition have been fighting them during the past days."

"With the casualties that we have inflicted upon their respective armies, they are not in any way capable of threatening us. They also do not wish to see their kingdoms destroyed by our firepower."

An Japanese reporter raised his hand and asked about the Coalition and enemy casualties.

"We estimate that the Empire has lost 200 000 men and beasts in repeated assaults while their former vassals have suffered 100 000 all together. As for us, we have suffered no casualties so far."

The crowd was silent for a moment. Such casualty rates hadn't been heard off since the Second World War. However, it was extraordinarily lopsided which led to the next thing the reporter had to say.

"General, you are committing massacres!" exclaimed the shocked reporter.

"That is because the enemy we have been facing is simply outmatched technologically," explained Hazama, "They have been fighting stubbornly and despite throwing war creatures, dragons, men and magic at us, they have not been able to make any progress against our positions."

An American reporter raised his hand before the general pointed him.

"Magic sir?"

"We have received a few reports that the enemy has militarised magic but it is utterly ineffective against us. It is inaccurate and can't do much damage. We are however currently starting work on making sure that our men dispose of the means to thwarting any magical attacks."

The general continued answering various questions for half an hour before putting an end to the Q&A session. Ronny was rather pleased at himself when he finished the broadcast. He managed to get a few more well placed questions for his viewers. He addressed his viewers before signing off.

"As we have just seen, the situation in Falmart has evolved greatly with the meeting with the recently encountered nations. Stay tuned for more news as the situation progresses. This is Ronny Marinin for CBC News signing out!"

As he finished his broadcast, Eric looked at him before speaking.

"Yo bro, you think we'll see anything interesting like Ginza again? This is fucking dull."

"Ginza was a one in a million. We got lucky and got there at the right moment." shrugged Ronny. The CBC reporter and his trusty cameraman were lucky during the Ginza incident. They were merely passing by Tokyo when it happened and ended up filming the ensuing chaos and counterattack. They had been part of those lucky first reporters that made it to the Gate to catch images of the victorious American, Canadian and Japanese troops in front of the archway.

"I was hoping we could some see of the fireworks eh?"

"Let's just hope we get fucking lucky again then."

"Word."

 **Itami Youji and Risa's appartment, 1300**

Risa turned off her television as the press conference finished. The otaku and graphic artist sighed as she sat back in her couch. Who could possibly have told her and her husband that he would travel through some kind of magical gateway to a fantasy world filled with fantastical creatures and magic. It was like living out a manga or an anime. At least, he was safe right now from she saw on television. For now anyways...

Looking over her living room, she could see their collection of various otaku merchandise ranging from various posters to books to DVD cases as well as action figures. She wondered what kind of things her husband saw. Did he see other things than monsters such as dragons, ogres or trolls? Things such as the elves and monster girls that she liked to cosplay with him.

It was hard not seeing him but the American and Canadian women she had befriended after the initial crossing helped her cope. They would schedule video calls via Skype despite the extreme time zones difference. The fireball gym coach that was Annabel Fletcher was in California while the caring teacher, Marie Duguay-Delorme was in Quebec. It was difficult but the three women easily found the time. It helped them cope with their loved one being off to war.

Risa had also learned many things from her new found friends in North America. Most interestingly was the concept of family support groups. Since the Americans and Canadians had been to war many more times than Japan since 1945, their families banded together to help each other out. It was an interesting idea.

An interesting idea that the JSDF could use.


	8. Chapter 7: Worlds Collide

**Author's note: First off, special thanks to F-14 Tomcat Lover and The Tundra Fox for the beta-reading of this chapter as well helping come up with new ideas for this fic. Especially with this chapter and making them work.**

 **Second off, thanks to MandaloretheFreedom for the idea with the Imperial lord at the end of the chapter. According to him, such an incident happened in real life during the War of 1812 between British Canada and the US. Private Wade Nilsson is his OC suggestion.**

 **Finally, GATE, its characters and the real word organizations don't belong to me. They belong to their respective owners. Same with Sgt. Steven Grey Ryan, President James Kelly Grey (F-14 Tomcat), Lieutenant Jack Johnson (TheCanadianPatriot), Ronny Marinin(The Tundra Fox), the M1A1 Here We Go Again (Faust1812) and Private Wade Nilsson (MandaloreTheFreedom). Only my OC's belong to me.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy this next installement of Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 **Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 _Chapter 7: Worlds Collide and Burning Villages_

 **Imperial Throne Room, Imperial Palace, Sadera, March 11th, 1400**

Emperor Molt was listening to Minister Marcus' report. It was excellent news so far. The Allied Kingdoms had been dealt a grievous blow. Over 100 000 casualties in their armies and all the most influential, competent kings had been killed or gone missing. The shattered armies were returning home, no longer a threat to Imperial power.

"All according to plan," stated the Emperor, "Our neighbors can no longer threaten us."

He briefly paused to calculate his next move before his orders.

"Burn all the towns and villages in Arnus province," ordered the Emperor, "Poison the wells and take whatever food and livestock they have. Stop only at the edge of the of Italica and the Formal Lands. It should strand the invaders and buy us time to rebuild the army."

"Will you order a new levy your majesty as well?" calmly asked the Minister, "The army is in dire need of new men to replace the losses at Arnus and in the other world."

"A new levy is needed minister."

"I see... but for the scorched earth tactics," added Minister Marcus, "Your majesty, I worry that this will hurt tax revenues and cause defections."

"Defections, you say?"

"Marquis Casel has been rather busy lately with his faction in the Senate. He and his political allies have been organising banquets and meeting with other senators more frequently than usual."

"Is that so?" asked an amused emperor, "What does he plan to do?"

"The rumour is that he and others are planning to have you recalled for the latest decisions that led to the disasters."

"He could do whatever he wants," chuckled the Emperor, "The inner council should soon begin to investigate him and his entourage. It should make an excellent opportunity to take care of the Senate in one fell swoop."

"Very well your majesty."

But before the minister could continue, the doors opened and a familiar voice rang out.

"Your majesty!" exclaimed Princess Pina as she entered the throne room.

"Pina, my daughter. What do you need?"

"I have received news that the Allied Kingdom armies have met with miserable defeat after facing the otherworlders that have occupied Arnus Hill for the past months. What are you doing at a time like this!?" angrily asked the young princess.

"We will use this opportunity to rebuilt the legions before striking again the enemy," explained nervously Minister Marcus, "It would take time to assemble enough men and skilled leaders."

Before he could finish his explanation, Pina had cut him off.

"What complacency! That will neither stop nor stall the enemy invasion, only allow them more time to march on our lands and people!"

Her rant was cut off by the emperor's voice causing her and the minister to bow in respect while their ruler began to talk.

"Pina, you are correct," stated the ruler, "These delays are threatening our chances of repelling these invaders but we are far too ignorant about the enemy that occupies Arnus Hill."

He briefly paused as he worked out a solution for this predicament.

"This is perfect. Could I ask that you and your order take command of the 3rd and 5th legions?" demanded the Emperor. "You are to lead them as many of their commanders have all been slain. I will task you with protecting the towns just outside of Arnus province, in Clan Formal's territories as well as leading scout parties to find out more about these invaders."

The two legions in question were the ones that were the most savagely mauled by the outworlders as the 3rd was the one guarding the hill when the first assault came while the 5th was the first one to reinforce them. As such, they were well under strength.

"Me?" asked a surprised Pina, "With my order?"

"Indeed," smugly responded the emperor, "If your Order is more than your plaything..."

Pina left out a shocked gasp while her face was contorted in a sour expression at her father's insinuation.

' _Finally a chance for my order and myself to prove ourselves as worthy knights. Yet in such circumstances?'_

She bowed before saluting her father.

"I understand your majesty!"

 **Allied Kings' quarters, FOB Arnus, March 19th, 1000**

It had been over a week since the Allied Kingdoms met their defeat at Arnus. Since then, the situation for most of their leaders had evolved in a radically different way that the Allied kings had not expected. It was a very welcome situation however.

They had received better care for their injuries then they could ever have expected. Not only that, their troops also received the same amount and quality of treatment. Even King Duran had regained consciousness and was being fitted with artificial limbs that were tailored to him. The man would however be forced to stay at Arnus for physical therapy.

The Allied leaders had also asked for information about Earth while they delivered their promise of maps and the lay of the land in Falmart. They had been more than happy to do so after the Empire's treachery. In exchange, they had received simple books that were translated in Saderan that allowed them to learn a bit about the world on the other side of the Gate.

However, the Coalition commanders had dispatched some of the special forces team and unmanned UAV's ahead to make sure that the maps and kings weren't lying. In Hancock's words, "The Russians were wrong about a lot of things but Trust but verify is not one of them!" So far, the maps appeared to be truthful.

Today was an important day however. The Allied kings were to sign a treaty of neutrality with the nations of Canada, Japan and the United States with the media in attendance as witnesses. Despite the earlier announcement to the press, nothing had been signed that made their neutrality official until today.

The seated kings were reviewing the treaty while the Coalition commanders watched them. Finally the Treaty of Neutrality between the Coalition states and the Allied Kingdoms was signed. It not only assured the non-participation of the Falmart nations in the war but served as the start of more formal relations between the two worlds. It also guaranteed that the Coalition would intervene should the Saderan Empire attempt to conquer the now-weakened Allied Kingdoms.

As the kings and Coalition commanders finished signing the treaty, General Hazama opened a bottle of sake before pouring each man a glass. The sound of cameras flashes going off could be heard as the scene unfurled.

"To peace!" toasted the Japanese officer.

"To peace!"

Despite this treaty and the goodwill of the men present, peace would not come anytime soon...

 **3rd and 5th Legion Camp, Clan Formal Territory, April 3rd, 1700**

A group of proud riders were riding atop mighty steeds into the legions' camp. These knights wore elegant white armor and blue clothes. Their banners were a deep shade of red with a rose surrounded by a golden crown. What struck the Imperial legionnaires the most was that these knights were mainly young noblewomen. To the centurions, they recognized them as being part of the Rose Order of Knights.

Pina and her knights dismounted and the young princess made an announcement.

"I am Princess Pina Co Lada and these are the Knights of the Rose Order! We have been sent from the Capital on the emperor's order to lead you. I want a meeting with every centurion in charge of a cohort in one hour!"

Many of the troops looked at each other in curiosity and incredulousness. Who was this pretentious woman who gave orders to men? Only a royal could get away with this. The princess and her knights disappeared further into the camp.

As Princess Pina and her closest knights made her through the mass of tents and men, they could see the looks on the legionnaires' faces. Many had haunted and fearful looks in their eyes while others were clearly scowling at the prospect of being led by little more than noblewomen playing knights. The nobles finally arrived at the legions' command tent. Inside of the tent, there was a table with large amounts of reports on them as well as waiting officers waiting for them. The Rose Order Knights began to read the stacks of parchment made by the various centurions of the two legions.

A grim, almost desperate portrait was being painted as they read more and more about the enemy they faced. From demons that struck night and day with impunity to magic that obliterated entire cohorts, the knights could see that whatever occupied Arnus Hill was far mightier than anything in Falmart. It terrified them. Other reports were worrying as well. It also revealed which cohorts and officers had shamed the Imperial colours by fleeing from their enemy while in battle.

After the catastrophic defeats of both the Imperial Army and the Allied Kingdom Armies, the countryside around Arnus Hill had turned into a state of chaos and disorder. Deserters and maddened survivors from the defeated armies had turned to banditry and attacked the local villages routinely. With the Imperial legions gone in flames, the local militias had to fend for themselves against these bandits. They now threatened to spill into the Formals' lands.

"Your highness, what would you have us do?" asked Bozes Co Palesti, one of her closest friends and one of the Captains of the Rose Order, "Riding to Arnus would be simply too dangerous."

"Bozes, these men are simply too worn out to be any useful in any battle." stated Pina, "Perhaps they need a reminder of Imperial discipline! Perhaps decimatio for the men and perhaps fustuarium for a few officers that failed in their duties."

"Your highness, should we assemble the men for this?" dutifully asked Bozes. The centurions inside the tent looked at each other nervously before throwing a look at Pina in barely hidden disgust. Before Pina could answer, her faithful teacher and mentor, Sir Grey Co Aldo shook his head and spoke up.

"Your Highness, might I suggest a more merciful approach?"

"Why should I show mercy to cowards that dishonoured the Empire's colors?" haughtily asked Pina, "Why should they live after they failed and allowed the enemy to take the sacred hill of Arnus?"

The two centurions were visibly angered as their fists clenched and their disgusted faces could barely hide their contempt for the Third Princess and her entourage. How dare this impudent spoiled princess and her order of amateurs insinuate that the Imperial troops shamed their colours at Arnus? Had they stood against the outworldly invaders' bands of demon and merciless destructive magic?

"Your highness, I suggest that you inspect the fighting men first," proposed Grey, "There are probably far more good men than weak livered cowards in the ranks of the two legions under your command. The two legions are also critically under strength and such punishment would be a waste of men and officers."

"I understand your advice Grey but are you truly certain of this?" wondered Pina, "Are you certain they will not turn tail at the first battle against the outworlders?"

Grey shook his head before explaining his reasoning.

"I would avoid fighting the invaders directly for the moment. We know too little of them and what we know is that they can defeat us with ease. It would be a waste of lives."

"Perhaps easier targets Grey?"

"Yes, the bandits that have appeared in the region over the past few months," proposed the veteran knight, "They have been rather troubling to our people."

Pina could see the logic behind his idea.

"Hmm, our people need us as well," replied the young woman, "It is soon the harvest and having bandits plunder the fields and villages nearby is simply unacceptable. We cannot let the peasantry starve."

"I knew you would see reason your Highness."

Pina turned to Hamilton, her trusty page.

"Hamilton, go gather all the cohort commanders! I wish to address them first."

"Yes your Highness!" answered the short, dark haired woman as she bowed before exiting the tent.

She then turned to Bozes.

"Captain Bozes, take a few of the knights with you and review the state of the camp and our supplies! I want a full report as soon as possible."

"Understood your Highness!" replied the blonde knight. "It shall be done."

She then exited the tent followed by a pair of knights.

Pina and Grey continued discussing possible plans against the problematic bandits and highwaymen that had appeared over the past months. Their discussion had not lasted very long before Hamilton returned with the senior centurions as well a few of the auxilia leaders. The auxilia leaders varied between beastmen and elves. The centurions had skeptic looks on their wearied face while the auxilia had fear in their eyes. They all saluted their new commander before she addressed them.

"I have chosen to be merciful on this day and have decided that you are to spared from any punishment for the time being," explained Pina before pointing to Grey, "Sir Grey here has advised me to restrain punishment for the moment. We simply cannot afford losing anymore fighting men for the moment."

The centurions' faces briefly lit up. Mercy was something they had not expected. Yet there might be a catch of some kind.

"The situation is rather grave in the region," explained Pina, "As you may well know, there are bandits that are preying upon the farmers of our land over the past months. The attacks have been ever increasing and with the harvest drawing near, it is inacceptable for these attacks to continue. I consider that it would better to combat these criminals that terrify our lands."

A centurion cleared his throat, signalling that he wanted to speak. Pina turned to him and motioned him to speak.

"Your highness, many of these bandits are deserters from our army who fled after the battles against the outworlders," explained the officer, "I would suggest that we bring to justice for their desertion. They have brought disgrace to the army and need to be tried."

Pina and Grey nodded in approval.

"Your highness if possible, we should try to round up as many of these deserters," proposed Grey, "It should be them that should be punished. They did abandon the army in its time of need unlike the men in the camp right now."

The princess was now deeply concentrated as she thought of her next move while looking at her reports. After a few moments, she looked up.

"Let us wait for Bozes' return and her report on the state of the men," ordered Pina, "With that information, we can figure out a more detailed plan about pacifying the region."

 **FOB Arnus, Recon Teams Briefing Room, April 5th, 0700**

Eighteen recon teams were currently heading out of the briefing room. Each Coalition nation had supplied six teams. These units were designated as Deep Reconnaissance Teams. They were tasked with exploring the land outside of Arnus Hill to establish contact with the local villages and towns, locate resources and most importantly, find any trace of the civilians kidnapped during the Ginza Incident.

Conversations between the exiting men were filled with curiosity at what lay outside the wire. From what they saw, it seemed to be a fantasy world untouched by modern technology and pollution. The teams headed towards their motor pools where their vehicles awaited for them.

The Canadian teams, which included Kinh and Recon Team 7, were getting a mix of tried and true as well as new equipment. Classic vehicles included the faithful G-Wagons, LAV-III IFV's and Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle while the Canadians had replaced their MRAP's with the four-wheeled TAPV. Their American counterparts were heading out in their trusted Humvees', MRAP's and LAV-25's while the Japanese favored the use of Komatsu LAVs', Type 73 trucks and Toyota High Mobility Vehicles.

After he and his team did last minute comm checks and other quick inspections to their equipment, Kinh mounted his team's G-Wagon, a single thought ran through his mind while his jeep's engine came to life and moved the vehicle out of the base.

' _This is it...we're finally moving off this pile of rocks.'_

He was pulled out from his train of thought by Brisebois who was sitting in the back seat.

"Hey sir, check out that sign those dumbass Marines made!"

"What the hell did they...You are entering the Special Region No Man's Land," read aloud Kinh, "Enjoy your stay and shoot to thrill. Courtesy of the...typical 'Muricans!"

He could hear the G-Wagon's driver, the newly assigned private Fortin, chuckle at typical American bravado.

"Why am I not surprised sir?" asked the younger, light haired man.

"No idea eh." replied Kinh. He could see a long column of Coalition vehicles exiting the FOB.

"YO Kinh!" called out a voice. It was Jimmy Foley who had his driver move his Humvee right up to the Canadian's G-wagon with his team's vehicle in tow. "Sup man?"

"Yo, well me and my team's playing adventurers! We're gonna find out if this place has mithril or shit!" joked Kinh.

"Next thing we know, we'll save the Fellowship of the Ring from the Nazgul."

"One does not simply walk into Mordor!"

"Dude... we'd shoot our way in! Fucking orcs and trolls don't have guns."

"Seriously Jimmy, what do you think we'd see man?"

"Probably some dull ass medieval village, maybe if we're lucky cool shit like elves or something."

"If the Japs get lucky, they could see some of those freaky animal people they have in their manga and stuff."

"Urgh...creepy manga shit," groaned Kinh, "Anyhow, see you man!"

The two teams had arrived at a crossroad that was being turned into a checkpoint by a squad of Marines. Each group now headed into different directions.

Kinh decided to use the section's radio to review his team's briefing. It turned out that 3SON was now assigned to recon duty as RCT7.

"Allright ladies and gents, we're heading to the nearest village, Irena, and make contact with them. It's a few hours of driving from here. That's our first stop and afterwards we're moving further north east to a couple of places before turning back. Understood?"

"Roger that sir!" came the reply from the other vehicles.

"Oh and I forgot... there might be other species out there," seriously remarked Kinh, "Mes osties d'Otaku...mettez vous des crisses de capotes tabarnak!" (My fucking otakus... put on some goddamn condoms!)

He was met with laughter from a few members of his team.

"Sir don't worry about!" exclaimed Julien, "We'll be careful."

"Don't forget eh? Those different species might not fuck the same way as us," stated Kinh.

"I'll remember that Kinh!" answered Lévesque from the back of the jeep. He was manning the G-Wagon's C6 machine-gun.

"Excuse me sir?" asked Private Fortier, "But did I end up with a bunch of furries?"

"Nah, they're just being retards," answered Kinh, "We know each other from civilian life see?"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it's a hell of a story but me and a few of the team know each other for a long time," explained the lieutenant, "To give you an idea, Zach and Alex were in high school with me at Curé-Antoine Labelle in Laval."

Old memories flooded Kinh's mind. His final years in high school for all its teenage drama had been a happy moment for him unlike most people.

"That's one hell of a coincidence sir."

"Yeah... and don't call me sir when we're not doing official shit. Gets on my nerves man." replied Kinh, "What place did you go to in high school?"

"Went to Letendre but got kicked out."

Before Fortier could finish his sentence, Kinh had cut him off.

"Lemme guess... got annoyed of being around stuck up rich kids?"

"Crissement" chuckled the man, "Punched some other kid in the face in gym class 'cause he pissed me off. Then I got sent to the principal's office and told the retard to fuck himself. Wound up at St-Maxime afterwards."

A memory came to Kinh's mind. Saint-Maxime was one of, if not the worst high school in Laval with regular problems with drugs and violence. He remembered a few tales that he heard when he was in

"Wasn't that the school that some kid emptied a can of pepper spray in the air ducts at the end of the year?"

"Yeah... fucking ghetto place. Still managed to get my Secondary 5 before enlisting last year. Didn't expect this to happen."

"Me neither eh. Anyhow, gonna have a nap. Wake up me if anything happens."

"No problems man."

 **Somewhere near Ryula Village, 1000**

 **"** Shit sir!" exclaimed Private Dick Johnston. The African-American Marine could see burnt out buildings further down the road. RCT 11, under Jimmy's command, had arrived atop a small hill that allowed them to see the countryside around them. The ride had been uneventful until know. They had dismounted to get a good look only to see that the small farming village they were supposed to contact had been reduced to ashes.

Jimmy contacted his superiors on his Humvee's radio and urgently reported the situation that his team had stumbled upon.

"This is Recon Team 11 actual to Arnus Main, got a visual on Ryula Village! The place appears to have been attacked."

"Arnus Main reads you loud and clear RCT 11 Actual," replied the base. Before Jimmy could continue, he was interrupted by a Marine that moved towards him

"Sir, I don't see any movement in the village. It's probably deserted," called out another Marine, "I think we should go down there and check out if any civilians are alive."

Jimmy grunted his approval before turning back to his radio.

"Arnus Main, my team's gonna proceed into the village and see what's going on. Over!"

"Arnus Main copies, Proceed with caution. Over!"

The squad of Marines re-embarked on their transports and drove towards the village as quickly as possible. As they approached the village, they knew something terrible had happened. There were a few scattered rotting corpses of armoured soldiers bearing Imperial uniforms and a few arrows stuck in the ground around them. Ahead, the palisade and watch towers looked badly damaged.

As the Marines entered the village and dismounted, they could see a dozen dead men littering the ground at the entrance, killed in horrible fashion. Many of the bodies surprised them as they were humanoid and share various traits with different animals from Earth. The villagers were dressed in simple clothing while others had simple leather armour and cheap, improvised weapons. The Marines suspected that the peasants had a small, poorly trained militia that tried to fight for their homes. Judging from the village's simple architecture, it was an impoverished, backwater place. There were also some dead Imperials littering the ground near them.

The men were speechless for a moment as they wondered what exactly had happened. One of Jimmy's corporals, Jacobs, took a closer look at one of the dead Imperials. The dead legionnaire's face was grinning madly in some kind of perverse pleasure. It was unnerving. The other Marines that were combing the village entrance noticed the same pattern on the other Imperial dead while the villagers bore looks of terror and despair on their lifeless faces. The small huts looked damaged as well. Some had been burned to the ground while others still stood bearing scars of a savage attack.

"Sir, I think something fucked up just happened here," spoke Corporal Jacobs, "I think we should tell command about what we just found."

"I'll get on the radio and contact command at once. Shit like this..." replied Jimmy. The lieutenant's training had been intense as to prepare him for these moments but despite that, he could barely cope with the sight before him. Before heading back to his radio, he ordered one of his fire teams to search the nearest hut while the others kept watch outside.

"Arnus main, this is RCT 11 actual, we've entered Ryula village. There's sign of a recent battle between Imperials and the locals but no signs of life."

"Arnus main to RCT 11, solid copy, continue investigating the place. We'll send in a team via helicopter to help you guys out."

"Copy that Arnus Main. In the mean time, we'll keep you updated on any findings."

As Jimmy finished his message, Jacobs and his team returned. It wasn't good news that came with them. The corporal and his team reported that they had found dead civilians inside. Judging by the man's disgusted face, the inhabitants had been suffered atrociously.

"Sir, I think these bastards came in at night," started Jacobs, "We found the villagers still in their beds or close by."

"For fuck's sake..." sighed Jimmy as he shook his head, "All right we're getting some back up soon. In the meantime, I want us to go search the village for any survivors."

"Rah!"

The Marines resumed their search for survivors. As they continued with their task, a grim portrait was soon drawn that slowly confirmed their worst fears. Each home they entered were filled with dead villagers. It shocked them. As they advanced further from the village center, the more bodies they could find outside of their homes. The Americans deduced that the sound of the battle had awoken the villagers further from the village entrance. They had tried to flee from their homes...unfortunately, the Imperials had caught up to them. Something else had struck them. None of the Ryula inhabitants were fully human unlike the dead Imperial legionnaires. Had they walked in on some kind of sick ethnic purging and genocide?

Soon, the familiar sound of helicopter rotors could be heard. A joint Marine and JGSDF team had arrived to secure the village's remains. Jimmy grimly briefed the newcomers. A few of the Japanese had begun working their way through the village and the Marine swore he heard some vomit at the sight before them. He shook his head at this while he watched some of his fellow Americans warning them about this only being the beginning. Some of them were veterans of Afghanistan and had seen sights like this before. It was just another difficult day for them.

He and his team mounted up and exited the village, hoping that the next place would be in better shape than this.

 **Irena village, 1100**

The sound of arrows whistling through the air could be heard as Irena's militia fought tooth and nail to save their homes. Alongside them, stood a handful of Imperial troops. Rampaging maddened Imperial legionnaires charged at the wooden walls with ladders while others manned a battering ram, trying to break through. The militia's weak bows were unable to pierce through the Imperial armour and shields but they fought on hard alongside the Imperial troops that were now fighting against their former comrades.

Suddenly, a sound not unlike thunder could be heard from the back of the crazed horde and began cutting down men. Some of them froze for an instant before turning towards the sound and running towards it. Gleeful madness could be heard as the jeering legionnaires charged at the newcomers...

Only to be met by the might of modern firepower. RCT 7's supporting vehicles had unleashed a torrent of lead. Between the Coyote and LAV-III's 25mm cannons and the TAPV's 40mm grenade launcher and C6 GPMG, the crazed men didn't stand a chance and were torn to piece. RCT7 had dismounted and thrown in small arms fire, rapidly wiping out the madmen.

The Irena militiamen and their Imperial allies could only stare in silent horror at the newcomers. They had so effortlessly wiped out the crazed Imperial legionnaires in such short moments. They could barely get their wits before they were greeted by another sight. A group of horseless green metal carriages moved slowly towards the town. The carriages came in many shapes. The smallest one had four wheels and the village defenders could see men sitting inside of it. Others had strange heads with long snouts which scanned the horizon in front of them. A man was sticking out from a window on its side with a large horn like device. He began to speak in a somewhat broken Saderan and the sound of his voice came out loud enough for each one of the militiamen and legionnaire to hear.

"People of Irena Village, we are the soldiers of the Canada's Royal 22e Régiment! We've come to offer you aid and would like to enter your village and discuss with your leaders."

Aid? What kind of men were these? The village elder came up to his gatekeepers and silently gestured for the gate to be opened. A few of the Imperial troops protested vocally while their centurion vainly attempted to reason the village elder. The militia and legionnaires began gathering near the village gate with held breaths.

The convoy entered the village, its passengers wary. They had reason to as they saw a two dozen Imperial legionnaires with weapons in hand, ready to attack them should the newcomers prove to be dangerous to them or the villagers. The horseless carriages came to a halt while a group of ten green clothed men and women with long staves disembarked. Was this the enemy that took Arnus Hill and began a march of conquest on the continent of Falmart?

"Alright _[One 'l']_ _,_ I would like to speak to your leaders!" demanded one of the green men. Standing a good distance away from the newcomers, the village leader presented himself nervously while the centurion cautiously stood behind him, a hand on his gladius. They saw the green man that talked to them do a hand gesture towards his men and some of them lowered their weapons. The great snouts on the horseless carriages were still pointed at them.

"Drop your weapons!" ordered Kinh through his megaphone, "As you may have seen, we've destroyed the enemy that besieged your village with ease. I would rather avoid more bloodshed."

Reluctantly, the centurion ordered his men as well as the militia to drop their weapons and shields in neat piles in front of them. The green man that was talking began to move closer with two of his men.

"Is there anywhere we can discuss?" asked Kinh. He hoped that his demand sounded confident. After all, he was talking to someone in a different language that he learned on the fly.

"Perhaps my home could be properly suited," nervously proposed the village elder, "I would like to have Centurion Adrianos accompany us. He and his men have helped defend Irena for the past weeks."

Kinh nodded in agreement before contacting his men via radio in French.

"All right ladies and gents, me, Brisebois and Alex are gonna go with the village leader and the militia commander. Matt, have the team secure their weapons and if anyone tries funny business, you know the drill. Andrew, get in touch with Arnus Main and inform of the developments here."

However, judging by the locals' expression, they were terrified and would probably not try anything stupid. Still though, the Van Doos rapidly secured the piles of equipments. The lieutenant and his men were then led to the village elder's home. As they walked in the village's street, they noted how simple the houses were. They were small wooden buildings with thatched roofs while the roads were unpaved, rough gravel.

' _Typical medieval/Roman village'_ mused Kinh. As _[Capitalize]_ they walked, he could see the locals staring with a mix of fear and curiosity while they tried to carry on with their normal lives.

' _Urgh, I hate being stared at. What am I? A circus animal?'_

He mentally shook his head. These villagers probably never saw anything like him and his men. Despite this, he sometimes threw annoyed glares at a few inhabitants to get their attention away from him. The five men finally reached the village elder's home. It was a larger, wooden house yet it remained rather simple like the rest of the Irena dwellings. Inside, it was a typical medieval home, with a fireplace and simple wooden furniture. The men sat down at the dining table, with the Van Doos on side while the Irena elder and Centurion Adrianos on the other.

"Very well, I suppose introductions are in order," said Kinh, "I am Li-oo-te-nant Kin Huynh of the Royal 22e Régiment of the nation of Canada. These are two of my men, private Alexandre Léveillé and Cor-po-ral André Brisebois."

"Greeting, I am Elder Lyall of Irena."

"I am Centurion Adrianos, Li-oo-te-nant H-you-winh," declared proudly the Imperial officer. Despite being forced to give up his arms, the man still had dignity and pride. He would not get on all fours and beg for mercy from the enemy that sat before him.

"Pleased to meet you both. What did my men and I just walk into?" asked Kinh. "From what I saw, you were fighting your own men."

"Permit me to explain the situation, Li-oo-te-nant H-you-winh," answered Elder Lyall, "For the past months, before your armies invaded Arnus Hill, demons began to plague the land around the hill. They preyed on the Imperial legion guarding the area, starving them and preventing them from getting food."

 _'Demons? Merde!'_

Dragons and monsters, Kinh could handle... but demons? That was a whole other thing.

"When did these demons appear?"

"Nearly half a year ago," replied the centurion, "They plagued us until your armies arrived."

' _Hmm...maybe they were Special Forces?'_

"Since then, what has happened?"

Centurion Adrianos let out a sigh before continuing.

"We tried to fight against your might but it was too much. Many fled for their lives when their legions got destroyed defenses."

He briefly paused and closed his eyes before continuing.

"Others... went mad."

"Mad?"

"Yes, believing it was the end of our world, they went mad," explained wearily the Imperial, "and began attacking everything on sight. I managed to survive Arnus and found the legionnaires that guard the village here."

"I see."

"We've been fighting off these crazed deserters for the past two nights," concluded Elder Lyall, "Until your arrival."

"I will contact my superiors immediately to inform them about what's going on and we'll see what happens next."

"How long will it take for you to return?" asked Centurion Adrianos.

"Return? I never said anything about leaving eh?"

Kinh then turned to Brisebois who handed his radio's microphone. To the surprise of the Irena village leaders, the green man began to talk and was answered almost immediately by a voice coming from the strange object he took from his subordinate's backpack. A few moments of discussions later, Kinh turned his attention to Adrianos and Lyall and explained the situation.

"My superiors inform me that they will send reinforcements soon to protect the village. We'll also help out any of the wounded or sick that you have in your charge."

Kinh then paused. The next news would be harder to deliver.

"As for your men, Centurion Adrianos, I'm afraid that since we are at war, I must capture you and your troops."

The officer began to protest but Kinh rapidly cut him off.

"If you are a good leader, you should be wise enough to know that my men, despite being fewer, can and will annihilate your legionnaires with ease. Are you certain that you want to risk that?"

The centurion let a groan of defeat before complying and making a request.

"I would like to be held in the same cells as my men and treated as if I was a simple soldier."

Kinh gave a kind smile before answering.

"Our armies have a code of honour to treat each prisoner we take with great care. You shall be properly fed and sheltered until this war finishes and we send you home," assured the Canadian, "As for Irena, my superiors will most likely offer aid to repair the damaged palisade and offer food and care to the villagers."

Both the village elder and the centurion nodded in approval.

"Are my people to pay tribute to your armies Li-oo-te-nant H-you-winh?" worriedly asked Elder Lyall "Such generosity must come at a price and the bandits have destroyed our crops."

"No, I can assure you that we do not need tribute in exchange of aid," replied Kinh, "Our nations are rich enough to aid you."

"Nations?" asked Centurion Adrianos.

"It's a long story," answered Kinh before he explained the presence of the Coalition. After a moment, the centurion was shaking his head. He had realized that the Empire had attacked a nation called Japan and that the United States and Canada had come to their aid. Afterwards, the Coalition had struck back at the Empire. It shocked him however that so much effort was being spent to bring back the commoners that had been taken by the Imperial army before it was routed by the Coalition states. A chopping sound came from the skies. Elder Lyall and Centurion Adrianos looked up in curiosity.

"Ah, that would be our reinforcements," quipped Kinh. "Come, let's go meet them."

The Van Doos and the two local men left the small hut and headed towards the entrance to Irena. Centurion Adrianos held his breath as he saw what appeared to be three flying chariots with men in them landing outside the village. Two of them were smaller and had one large pair of blades that cut through the air with a smaller one on its "tail" while the third was massive with two pairs instead of one. Dust flew from the ground as the chariots landed before more of these green soldiers poured out.

One of them, holding a series of parchment like things in his hand ran up to Kinh and began talking to him. He briefly nodded before turning back to Centurion Adrianos and speaking to him again.

"Ok, my colleagues will take you back to our base on Arnus Hill. You'll ride in the Chinook there," explained Kinh, "Once there, you'll meet with my superiors before being interned."

"Chin-ook?" asked Adrianos.

"Yeah, the name of the big thing there," hurriedly replied Kinh. He certainly didn't feel like explaining the concept of a helicopter to a pseudo-Roman. "If you have any questions, you can ask your guards. I've been told that they should be able to answer."

"Very well," declared the captured Imperial officer, "If your armies as honorable as you say they are, I hope that our paths will meet again."

"As do I."

Kinh drew out his hand for a handshake, much to Adrianos' confusion.

"It's a greeting in our world."

"I see...in ours, it's a wedding proposal." sternly answered the Saderan.

"Oh my... sorry about that. Different worlds eh?"

"Yes, very much."

Both men finally shook their hands and parted ways. As Adrianos and his band of ragtag legionnaires were taken and tied by their Coalition guards, they could see some of the soldiers beginning to hand out strange, clear bottles. The villagers and militiamen began to drink in earnest of what appeared to be fresh water from these bottles. The Imperials breathed a small sigh of relief... perhaps these men truly lived up to their word.

 **Undisclosed location north of Arnus Hill, April 10th, 0100**

Captain Christian Richer, Lieutenant Jack Johnson and their team were perched atop a cliff. Through their night vision optics, they could see their objective for tonight's mission.

It was a small bandit camp. Nothing special about it except that it was, according to intel gathered from the locals by the various recon teams, supposedly where a bandit leader was... as well as another interesting VIP. In the wake of the battles of Arnus and the ensuing power vacuum caused by so many dead lords and other leaders, many Imperial and Allied Kingdom troops either turned to banditry... or went mad. In their madness brought on by the trauma of being on the receiving end of special forces assaultsand later on, modern firepower, something never before seen in Falmart, many simply thought it was the end of the world and that the gods had forsaken them.

As such, many decided to go on killing sprees, hoping it would satisfy the gods' thirst for blood and many of the crazed ex-soldiers thought that it would lead them to a swift death, freeing them from the torment of the impending apocalypse that had started at Arnus.

When word of this situation reached command from the various villages that were contacted or discovered by the recon teams, it was decided that the special forces units would lead covert missions against these bands of bandits. The operations would vary greatly. Sometimes, it was direct raids while some other times, it would be laser guided munitions being guided by teams. Other times, they would work alongside conventional forces when the bandit camps would be too large.

Tonight however, JTF2 was to launch a raid into the camp. Their mission was to eliminate the leader and eliminate or capture the VIP if possible. It was, according to rumours, a rogue battlemage that had been aiding this particular group of bandits wreak havoc in the area. Command was particularly interested in getting their hands on an enemy magic user after reports came up at Arnus Hill about militarized magic.

The team's radio suddenly cracked to life.

"Yo, you seeing what I'm seeing guys?" asked one of his colleagues before he pointed the location.

"What the..." muttered Lieutenant Johnson as he looked through his binoculars. Captain Richer had quietly swore in Québécois as he watched the scene unfurl before him.

Through their optics, the JTF2 team could see what appeared to be a small child wearing elaborate goth clothing gracefully leaping into the bandit camp. Yet, that small child carried a large halberd in her hands as if it was nothing and was moving like lightening as she cleaved her way through the bandit camp. She appeared to be giggling as she slew her victims with superhuman ease while they tried to flee from her or to vainly defend themselves against her unwavering assault. The team briefly saw a shield bubble appear only to be defeated with an unnaturally powerful halberd throw. Richer presumed that the mage was most likely dead after the shield spell got pierced. He immediately pressed his mic's button

"This Blizzard One to Arnus Main...aborting mission. Target is being neutralized by third party."

"Arnus Main to Blizzard One, solid copy. Return to your extraction point immediately."

"Blizzard One to Arnus Main, understood. Over!"

The team threw one last glance at the camp through their binoculars and could see that the strange girl was standing there, his stance clearly indicating some form of satisfaction.

The sniper team attached to the JTF2 unit asked Johnson if they could engage only to be met with an order not to do so. Gut feeling told the JTF2 Lieutenant that it was not a good idea to engage that creepy girl.

The team faded into the darkness of the woods, barely believing what they had just seen. It felt like seeing something out of some of their Japanese counterparts' beloved manga that they read to kill time and unwind between missions.

Whatever that _thing_ was... Command needed to know.

 **Command tent, 3rd and 5th Legion Camp, April 20th, 1700**

Princess Pina and Hamilton was reading over the reports for the past few days inside their tent while the sound of rain could be heard outside. There were good news and bad news.

"Your Highness," worriedly spoke Hamilton, "We've got news from one of our parties."

"Oh? What happened?" asked Pina, "Has the enemy made a move towards us?"

"No...no," stammered Hamilton, "Some of our scouts have encountered troops of the Allied Kingdoms."

Pina knew something was amiss. Ever since the defeat of the Allied Kingdoms, the surrounding countryside had been filled with deserters from the Imperial vassals. Some had turned to looting and pillaging while others were content of simply fleeing back to their lands. Others had sunk into madness like some of the Imperial troops that her legions found. It was an almost daily routine so it was strange that Hamilton was worried...then again, she was always a bit of a nervous wreck.

"Your Highness, it seems th-that the Allied kings are still alive and free."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Pina. This could be her chance to have more information about the mysterious invaders that occupied Arnus Hill.

"Have they said anything about the enemy? Are they heading here?"

Hamilton shook her head before reading the rest of the report. Her hands shook as she continued.

"No-no, they are heading back to their lands with their armies and declared to our troops that they signed a treaty of neutrality with the Coalition."

Pina left out a gasp. The vassal kings had turned on them. The Saderan Empire's situation had just gotten worst.

"First our legions are destroyed by an army that commands demons to fight for them," blubbered Pina, "Now our vassals have signed peace with the same enemy. It's only a matter of time before they turn on us."

' _I never thought that my first taste of command would be at such a moment of panic.'_

"Your Highness, according to this other report, the enemy has forced the Allied Kings to not attack us as well," read Hamilton. There was a look of shock on her face that was shared with Pina.

"How is this possible?"

Before anyone could reason why such a strange situation had happened, Grey came into the tent followed by two individuals. A Vera woman and an Elf ranger. All three bowed before the princess.

"Your Highness, Captain Ariha and Huntress Elessa have returned with interesting news," announced Grey before motioning them to speak. Hamilton was writing down notes while they spoke.

The Elven captain bowed again before he reported his findings.

"Your Highness, two nights ago, my hunting party was searching for a bandit camp as you ordered. Based off rumours and word from the local villages, we found a lead to brought us to their camp. To our surprise, the camp was already destroyed, with the dead littering the ground. We noticed that they sported the kind of injuries that our forces suffered at Arnus," explained Ariha. He then took something out of his pouch. It was a handful of strange little cylindrical objects made of shiny metal with a hole at one end.

"We found many of these bits of metal lying at different places around and inside the bandit camp. In my entire life, I have never seen such unusual craftwork your Highness."

Pina frowned in concentration. It only added to the mystery of the outworldly invaders. She looked at the Vera Huntress.

"And what of you, Huntress Elessa?"

"My story starts similarly to Captain Ariha's but instead, when we approached the bandit camp, we heard loud roars from the skies. When we looked up, great fire birds appeared before dropping magical stones that shook the ground with great balls of flames, spitting death from their mouths and launching fire arrows that destroyed the camp," reported the Vera, "We chose to lie in wait and suddenly, human like silhouettes arrived in the camp. Occasionally, we could hear brief "pows" coming from them. We too have found these strange metal objects in the bandits' camp."

Pina's mind only filled with more questions as she looked at the strange metal cylinders. What were they? Why did the otherworlders and their demons leave such objects behind? Despite her unanswered curiosity, she still had a job to do. Reports to fill and plans to be laid. Her next decisions surprised even her.

"Very well, I thank you for this knowledge and these objects," praised Pina, "You have done well and my father will hear of this in my next dispatch to him."

She then looked at Grey.

"Grey, offer Captain Ariha and Huntress Elessa a reward for their efforts. Perhaps an extra gold coin for them and their bands?"

The veteran as well the Elf and Vera were surprised.

"Yes your Highness!" answered Grey after a moment of shock.

"Thank you your Highness!" thanked both Captain Ariha and Huntress Elessa

"We have never been rewarded in such a way your Highness!" exclaimed the surprised woman.

"You have done well and I believe that you deserve such reward for the effort. You are dismissed for the evening."

As the two non-humans left, Pina couldn't help but notice the elegant sword that hung at the Elf's hip. She made a mental note to ask him later about it. Grey's voice broke the silence

"Your Highness, I must admit that you surprised me today," stated the man. Pina looked at him, puzzled.

"Why is that?"

"I never thought I would see the day that a member of the Imperial House would reward a non-human," he remarked.

"Well, for once, these... creatures have done their job appropriately," explained haughtily Pina, "Here's hoping that the rewards that I have given them will hopefully encourage others of their kind."

"Indeed," replied Grey, "The beastmen are proving far more effective then I first imagined."

After taking command of the two legions under her command, Pina realized that the units had auxilia attached to them in the form of various skirmisher bands made up of many types of beastmen and other non-humans. They were surprisingly adept at scouting and irregular warfare against the bandits and roving madmen that plagued the lands. Much better than the average Imperial legionnaire was. It was somewhat humbling for the princess to admit that beastmen auxiliaries were doing better than humans.

 **Appia Highway, 70km south of Italica, April 24th, 0100**

Knight Captain Bozes and a group of her knights were cautiously leading a cohort of Imperial legionnaires on the highway. Earlier that evening, her and her troops were warned by a band of elven rangers that was attached to the 3rd Legion that they were heading straight into an ambush of former Algunian soldiers gone rogue. A plan was quickly drawn up by her and the elven captain to stop the rogue soldiers from ambushing them.

A war cry suddenly came from the forest on their side. The Imperial legionnaires quickly raised their shields and moved into formation before charging towards the source of the attack. Their preparedness had blunted the element of surprise and reduced casualties to a minimum. Bozes was riding atop her steed and giving orders to coordinate the counterassault.

Meanwhile, arrows flew true into the back of the Algunian deserters as elven rangers let loose volley after volley into the enemy. The enemy was being overwhelmed and sensing that the battle had tipped in her favour, Bozes and her knights moved into position on the flank and charged into the enemy ranks.

It was over in an instant. The Algunian deserters mercilessly cut down by the Imperial forces and their elven auxillia. Within a few moments, the last deserter was slain. Bozes was ordering a casualty count and a search for any wounded Imperial.

After a moment, a dark haired Elven captain walked up to her, bow and arrow still in hand. He wore light green clothing, leather armour and a simple green well fashioned cloak.

"Captain Bozes, we have eliminated every single one of these deserters. My party has suffered no losses."

"Excellent work Captain," praised the weary knight, "At this rate, the road to Italica should be safe again within a week and we can begin evacuating the refugees from Arnus province there as well as their belongings, livestock and crops."

"Yes, it is good news indeed milady. The common people need not suffer when the enemy from Arnus Hill will begin marching on our lands."

As they continued their conversation, a surviving bandit, hidden behind a tree began to draw an arrow and moved out of his hiding place, with his bow moving towards Bozes' silhouette. The elven captain's heightened senses warned him of the enemy's presence and in a fluid gesture, released an arrow that struck the bandit in his right arm. The offender dropped his bow in pain before his life was ended by an arrow to his chest.

Bozes could only stand there, dumbfounded at what just happened. The elf had saved possibly her life. She snapped back to reality. Other Imperial officers rushed to her while the legionnaires and elven hunters doubled their efforts to make sure that no other survivor could pull off such a stunt.

"Th-thank you! I will make sure that your name is known by her Highness."

"It was nothing milady," simply said the elf.

"You have my word that you will be rewarded for this."

A smile appeared on the serene elf's face.

"I am merely answering the call that Emperor Molt has made many months ago. My people are suffering due to the high tribute he demands and his promise of reducing it in exchange of my service is what led me here."

"Very well," declared Bozes, "You have proven to be a worthy and skilled warrior. For that, I am willing to plead your case with Princess Pina once I see her again."

"Thank you milady," answered the captain before he bowed.

 **Appia Highway, April 30th, 0900**

A lone UAV was flying reconnaissance over the highway. For its operator back at Arnus Hill, it was a rather routine mission of monitoring the roads for anything unusual. Turns out today something was happening, The UAV had flown over one of the more central settlements of Arnus province and picked up something unusual. People from the small farming town and Imperial troops were burning down the fields while others appeared to be emptying their homes into waiting wagons and carts.

The operator kept his UAV hovering over the village for another hour to observe what was happening. It appeared the village was being evacuated and its fields were being destroyed to deny them to the enemy.

The operator quickly filled out his report to his superiors. This was critical information that needed to reach the higher Coalition echelons.

 **Emperor's quarters, Imperial Palace, May 3rd, 1400**

Emperor Molt was reading over the reports that his daughter, Pina Co Lada, had written about the situation of her forces and her operations.

He was happy to see that her order of knights were more useful and competent then he originally thought. The evacuation of Arnus province was going well with the roads being slowly but surely being secured. It would be a bad year in terms of tax revenues and agricultural production but the measures were necessary to buy time for the legions to be rebuilt. Pina were proving rather adept at leading her men in successful battles against the bandits, deserters and crazed madmen that appeared after the battles.

The legions' rebuilding were going slowly but steadily with men and beasts slowly filling out the depleted ranks. It would take many more months to rebuild his forces but with the scorching of Arnus province, the emperor calculated it would buy enough time for the feat to be done. The enemy hadn't made any major attacks since the beginning of the campaign and his forces had yet to encounter their opponent in battles besides Arnus Hill.

Emperor Molt could only scowl in disgust when he read the reports concerning the beastmen auxilia. His daughter and her playmates were praising those subhuman beings. Granted, it wasn't overwhelming praise but no member of Imperial nobility worthy of his title should ever reward these non-human beasts with any form of positive encouragement.

 _'Youthful folly,'_ dismissed the ruler, _'Naive little girls playing knights.'_

His scowl and irritation deepened when he read about the Allied Kingdoms' treaty of neutrality with the invaders. These cowardly fools would get their due once he finished rebuilding his armies and drove off the otherworlders. The Empire was strong enough for such a war.

The Imperial ruler immediately threw the report into the fire after he finished reading it. In the wrong hands, such information could motivate certain dissidents to further challenge his rule and that was simply unacceptable.

Looking over at maps of the Saderan Empire and Falmart, Emperor Molt began calculating his next moves.

 **Linaro Village, Arnus Province May 5th, 1600**

Thick black smoke lifted from Linaro's burning fields as the Imperial legionnaires set fire to them. Decked in ornate armour, the local lord was riding in the roads alongside some of his guards, overseeing the evacuation. Another horseman rode towards them and saluted his liege before addressing him.

"Milord, the fields are all ablaze," reported his guard, "Your manor is being evacuated."

"Excellent, my wares and slaves are secured then?" confidently asked the lord as he continued riding with his men.

"Yes milord"

"Very well, we should be able to make it to the Formals' lands in five days," stated the Imperial noble, "The Imperial army has cleared the main roads there.

"Milord?" asked his guard, "Is Count Formal not staunchly opposed to slavery on his territories?"

"Count Formal and his irritating... fetish for beastwomen are of no concern to us," explained the lord, "He died in battle against the invaders months and the Formal lands are in the hands of a naive little girl."

Suddenly, an Imperial legionnaire ran up to him, clearly out of breath. A look of worry was on his face.

"MILORD!" he shouted between gasps. He took another breath before talking again as sweat trickled down his brow. "The enemy has arrived near Linaro and marching on us."

"How could they be so fast?! Arnus is almost a week away from here!"

The lord began to yell orders and sending dispatches to rally his men. After a few moments, he could see his legionnaires move into formation and marched out on the road to meet the foe.

A kilometer from there, Kinh, Brisebois and Fortier were shocked at what they saw. Between the smoking, scorched fields, what seemed to be a century of Imperial legionnaires were marching into battle formation, led by a group of elaborately armoured horsemen. Kinh quickly grabbed his radio and began bellowing orders.

"TABARNAK! CONTACT, CONTACT 12 HEURES! INFANTERIE ET CAVALERIE!"

No sooner that he finished the transmission, RCT7's vehicles rapidly moved into position and began pouring fire into the approaching Imperials, rapidly wiping them out. It was almost becoming a routine. Every time a recon team would approach a village with Imperial presence, either the commander had common sense and surrendered or tried to fight back with the very predictable outcome. There had been slowly increasing encounters in which the recon teams would arrived to a scene where the Imperial troops would be in the process of burning down the village and its fields before fighting or surrendering to Coalition troops.

As the smoke cleared, dead and injured legionnaires littered the ground. The Van Doos cautiously dismounted and advanced towards the Imperials while a rather annoyed Kinh contacted his superiors to brief them about the situation.

 _'This is getting tedious.'_ mentally grumbled the lieutenant.

Very rapidly, the surviving legionnaires and their leaders were secured and their weapons confiscated. Kinh had just finished his briefing when Mathieu came back with a serious expression on his face.

"Sir, we've got something interesting from one of the prisoners," reported the sergeant, "Apparently, he's a local lord of some kind."

"Right! Let's go."

The two men, as well as Brisebois, moved towards a spot on the road where the prisoners were being closely guarded by Chief Corporal Zachary Lavigne and the rest of RCT7. He waved to Kinh to come over to him.

"Sir, it's this man," pointed out Zach, "He and the others claim that he's an Imperial lord."

"I see."

Looking at the man, it was obvious that he was well off. Ornate purple armour and gold trim covered this man. However, blood stained a quickly made bandage around his right leg and there was a pained look on his patrician face.

"Identify yourself!" demanded Kinh. There was clear authority in his voice as he spoke and introduced himself.

"I am Lord Karaxas El Mithras," grunted the injured man, "I have an offer for you if you let me go."

Kinh looked in curiosity. What could a man like him offer him?

"Go on..."

"Perhaps would you like having some slaves? I have quite a few with me" proposed the lord, hoping that this could appease the barbarian that stood before him. He was met with a brief look of surprise followed by a murderous scowl from said barbarian...

"Mon tabarnak... I don't think you know who you're talking to eh?" threatened Kinh, "You are going to tell where your fucking slaves are...or I'm sending your fucking headless corpse to wherever your crisse de famille is!"

The Canadian had by now pointed his C7A2 at the man's forehead as he continued his threat.

"You just saw how we fucked up your men with these... so you gonna talk or not."

The lord briefly cowered before answering.

"Th-they are on the other side of the village in wagons."

"Thank you."

There was a satisfied smile on the lieutenant's face. He immediately got on the radio with headquarters and began briefing them about the situation at Linaro before requesting reinforcements. Once finished, he turned to his team and instructing them about what to do next.

"Allright, Zach, you take Moore, Julien, Lévesque, Gagnon and Tremblay with the LAV-III to confirm what this guy says. Me and the rest of the team'll stay here and guard the prisonners until reinforcements arrive and secure the village."

"Yes sir!"

 **Skies of Arnus Province, 1645**

A group of CH-146, CH-47 and UH-1Y helicopters were flying through the skies of Falmart after receiving a request for reinforcements and resupply from RCT7. The joint Canadian-American flight was well underway towards their objective.

Amongst them were Ronny and his faithful cameraman, Eric. They had managed to get permission from the RCR's 3rd Battalion commander to tag along for the ride. It had been a rather dull fly so far.

"Yo Ronny, you think we'd get to see anything interesting?" shouted Eric over the sound of helicopter blades, "We've been sitting on our fucking asses for the past weeks."

"I hope so man," scoffed Ronny, "You'd think that being sent to some kind of Middle-Earth would be interesting eh?"

For the past few weeks, the reporter and his cameraman were stuck in FOB Arnus while the military was working in the countryside. They had gotten a few interviews with a few officers but they had not been able to see what happened beyond the base's fortifications. Another voice cut in. It was one of the Canadian privates that flew with them.

"Don't get your hopes, every time we get called up by a recon team, the togawearers are all dead," explained the black haired, pale skinned private, "We just show up and the village's already secured cause the locals are scared shitless of us."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so it's fucking boring shit."

"By the way, what's your name man?"

"I'm Wade Nilsson."

"Pleased to meet you Wade," replied Ronny, "I'm..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the private had cut him off.

"Yeah, I know who you are. Ronny Mannarin from the CBC right?"

"Marinin."

"Sorry there, you were the reporter that was at Ginza?"

"Yeah, we fucking got lucky," stated Eric, "Good thing I charged the batteries during the night before."

"Word." chuckled the private with a small smile on his lips.

"Yeah, we ended up running everywhere after the shit hit the fan," recounted Ronny, "There was just so much shit happening at the same time, people running everywhere."

"Crazy shit huh? We got delayed cause of those fucking lizards."

"Dragons right?" asked Ronny.

"Yeah, we couldn't fly in until the skies were cleared," explained the private, "HQ didn't want us getting between baby Smaugs and skyscrapers so we had to wait until the Air Force's dragon hunting got enough results."

"I heard you guys made it to the Imperial Palace though." remarked Eric.

"Yeah... after we found out that the fucking Imperials burnt down our embassy," scowled Wade, "We were supposed to fly in and save them but the dragons were still flying around."

"Oh...we made it there but they didn't let us in," recounted Ronny.

"I didn't go in but from what I heard, it was a fucking mess with bodies everywhere urgh," shrugged the private, "Not the kind of stuff you want to show on live television. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah."

"But you guys were the ones that got that shot with the tanks and infantry in front of the Gate eh?"

"We weren't the only ones that filmed that," said Eric, "There were another news crews."

"Yeah well, weren't you the only Canadian media that got there?"

Eric and Ronny looked at each other before Wade continued his story.

"From what I heard from my parents, everyone in Canada just took that footage and played it over and over on the other news channel."

Eric let out a whistle before fist bumping Ronny. Both men were proudly grinning at their luck.

"I heard that the recon team we're meeting with is led by one of the Van Doos that was in that footage. Some Vietnamese guy from Montreal or something like that," stated Wade.

"Huh. Odd coincidence," remarked Ronny, "Say, what do you think of Falmart so far?"

"It sounds like a failed version of Wal-Mart," joked the private as he smiled.

"Nah, that would be Target," chuckled Eric, "They fucking missed their target."

Light chuckling could be heard amongst the three men before the private started telling his opinion of Falmart.

"But seriously? If we didn't have to deal with these retarded Romans? It's a pretty nice place. Kind of reminds me of British Columbia with all the hills, mountains and forests."

"Been to Vancouver a few times," remembered Eric, "Beautiful city there. You from there?"

"Born and raised in beautiful Vancouver, B.C. , man. What about you guys?" wondered Wade.

The two CBC employees began to recount their own stories. Both men were from different Toronto neighbourhoods. Eric explained that he was from Kensington-Chinatown, a Toronto area known for its Chinese community, a somewhat rough neighborhood while Ronny was from St-Lawrence, a very well reputed part of the same city.

"So how'd you guys end up working together?" wondered Wade.

"Well, I went to Central Technical School and got an internship at the CBC," explained Eric, "I did good enough that they kept and I wound getting to Ronny here."

"Been doing a pretty good job since then too," praised the reporter.

They suddenly heard the pilot telling them that they had arrived at Linori village. Meanwhile the sun was slowly setting. The men looked out the side of their helicopter and could see the burnt down village and fields. They also spotted a group of green vehicles parked near a group of well guarded prisoners. Some of the soldiers guarding them were waving at the landing helicopters.

As soon as the helicopters touched down, the well drilled men of the RCR's 3rd Battalion sprang into action to secure the village while Ronny and Eric began filming the scene unfurling before them.

"This is Ronny Marinin for CBC News. I am currently in Linori village in the Arnus Province of the Saderan Empire where the Canadian Forces have arrived a few hours ago."

Eric panned out the camera to show the devastated village. Many of the buildings were burnt while the fields were still smoking from the earlier fire. Terrified villagers were crying while the American and Canadian troops began to help them.

"According to Coalition reports, the Saderan Empire and its leadership have ordered a scorched earth campaign in order to stall our advance against them. This is but one of many villages that have been burned down in the past few weeks."

The reporter noticed a Canadian officer flanked by a radio operator that was talking to one of his airborne counterparts. It looked that the conversation was finished and he began to walk away to some other task. Ronny began making his way towards the man and waved at him and his companion.

"Excuse me sir?" called out Ronny. The officer turned back towards the CBC reporter. He was clearly Asian with the usual dark brown eyes and pitch black hair. Tactical glasses with a prescription mount underneath covered his eyes while his face was etched in a serious expression.

"Yes? Can I uh help you?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm Ronny Marinin from the CBC. Can you tell me what happened here sir?"

The officer looked as if he was searching for what to do for a brief moment before he started talking.

"Uh, alrighty, I'm Lieutenant Kinh-Luyên Huynh of the Royal 22e Régiment. My team and I have arrived into the village a few hours ago. When we arrived, the Imperial troops were burning down the place, evacuating the villagers and poisoned the wells as to deny its resources to us."

"Can you tell us why? Since we've heard reports of scorched earth tactics being used. Is this the case here?"

"Yes, this isn't the first village that we've found in such a state. However, after the battles at Arnus Hill, there are countless deserters and crazed former enemy combatants that have been attacking local settlements," stated Kinh.

"Crazed, lieutenant?"

"I can't really explain why but we've encountered a few of them over the past few weeks. They've been attacking everything they could find including small villages. Needless to say, it isn't very pretty when we show up."

"I understand. What else can you tell us about this village?"

"We've captured the local lord and some of his troops as well. He tried to barter his freedom with us in exchange for slaves."

"Slaves!?" exclaimed Ronny. He knew very well what next question he would shoot the officer.

"Have you found anyone from Earth?"

Kinh frowned and shook his head before answering.

"I'm afraid not. However, the VIP we captured might have answers seeing as how he must have... bought them from someone."

There was a look of disgust on his face as he finished his sentence.

"Very well, can you tell me how the locals react to you?"

"Well, they're scared most of the time, especially after seeing what our weapons can do compared to theirs. Most are afraid that'd we'd enslave them. Especially the humanoid populations."

"Humanoid sir?"

"With encountered what could be described as half-human, half animal peoples in a few villages. They appear to be shunned and persecuted by the local human populations in general but we can't confirm much yet."

Kinh took a quick glance at his watch before talking again.

"But once we talk to them and calm them down, the locals tend to appreciate our presence. Seeing as how the countryside in this province is badly battered, the aid we bring is very appreciated. We've also started building a small refugee camp at Arnus," Kinh briefly paused, "I'm afraid I've got to return to my work but I can take one last question.

"I've heard about the refugee camp being built, are there a lot of refugees right now?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that question but I've got to leave now."

"Thank you for your time Lieutenant Huynh."

"The pleasure is all mine Mr. Marinin," smiled the officer.

With that, Kinh then left to meet up with his team while Ronny continued his coverage. He walked around and described the scene that played before him. American and Canadian troops were offering water to the thirsty locals while their medics did basic checkups on the sick and injured.

Not far from there, Wade was helping out a family. He was giving the kids some chocolate bars that he had packed with him. A sense of purpose filled him as he saw the parents smile as their children happily chewed on the food that he had brought.

"Excuse me."

Wade looked up and saw a medic talk to him. The rank on his plate carrier identified him as a corporal.

"Listen, keep an eye on everyone you gave food to ok?"

"Why sir?"

"We've been bringing in food from our world and we want to avoid allergic reactions getting out of control. Understood private?"

"Yes sir!"

"Very good."

The medic than left and Wade returned to the task of helping the thankful villagers. He had overheard what the Van Doo officer said and it disgusted him. It was an insult to Canada's national values of multiculturalism, compassion and tolerance that were dear to him. As a boy and a teen, he learned about his country's role as peacekeepers and he always loved to stand up to bullies at school. Being a rather well built person, that always helped him win any schoolyard fights.

One of his squadmates, the redheaded Private Lewis, walked over to him.

"Hey Lewis,"

"Yeah?"

"This is the shit I enlisted for man."

"Same thing here bro," replied Wade, "I think we're gonna do a lot of good here."

His buddy grunted in approval and the two pair went back to their task of aiding the locals.

At the same time, Kinh had just finished receiving his team's new orders and ordered Mathieu to regroup RCT7. As they moved around him, he began his briefing.

"Allright team, new mission for us."

He was met with groans from his team. They were supposed to return to Arnus for some rest the next morning.

"What's the mission now?"

"Turns out that a another village in the region is being evacuated by a Japanese team, callsign Recon Team 3," briefed Kinh, "Turns out there's a giant dragon that's been burning villages on top of everything."

"Sir, we're gonna babysit some refugees?" asked a tired Malika.

"Exactly," answered Kinh. He did his best to hide his weariness but he was certain that his eyes were shrunken from tiredeness, "We're going to stay for the night before and leaving tomorrow morning to link up with RCT3 and RCT11 who's joining in as well. I'll try and arrange something with the airborne guys so that we can get as much sleep as possible. Understood?"

"Yes sir," was the unenthusiastic answer from his team before they returned to their tasks.

 _'Can't wait to be back at Arnus,'_ mentally sighed the lieutenant, _'At least it's just babysitting.'_

After a quick chat with the commander of the airborne troops that had arrived, Kinh managed to his team excused from sentry duty that night. He finally made his way to his team and announced the well-received news. There were small tired smiles that appeared on the Van Doos as they made found themselves a comfortable place to sleep.

The lieutenant chose to return to his team's G-Wagon and installed in his passenger's seat. Next to him, Fortier was already snoring loudly while Brisebois and Lévesque had fallen asleep on the back bench. Kinh tried to make himself comfortable and relaxed but to no avail.

Seeing as how sleep wouldn't come anytime soon, the Canadian officer decided to write a few lines in his journal about the situation. His latest entries had described how much chaos reigned in Arnus province and how his team had been shocked by some of the things they saw. Yet, it gave him small hope as well. He had noted all the good that he had witnessed being done by his fellow Coalition soldier.

As he finished writing, a small letter slipped out of his journal. It was the one that Marie sent to him for Valentine's day. Due to logistics, the letter had been delayed for some time and finally he got it a month and a half later... around her birthday in early April. It wasn't much but it was a small taste of home.

 _'Let's hope this war finishes soon...'_ wished Kinh before falling asleep.


	9. Chapter 8: Refugees and Flame Dragon

**AN:** **First off, as always, thanks to F-14 Tomcat Lover and The Tundra Fox for the beta-reading of this chapter. Their help is always invaluable.**

 **Also, GATE, its characters and the real word organizations don't belong to me. They belong to their respective owners. Same with Sgt. Steven Grey Ryan, President James Kelly Grey (F-14 Tomcat), Lieutenant Jack Johnson (TheCanadianPatriot), Ronny Marinin(The Tundra Fox), the M1A1 Here We Go Again (Faust1812) and Private Wade Nilsson (MandaloreTheFreedom).** **Only my OC's belong to me.**

 **Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 _Chapter 8: Refugees and Flame Dragon_

 **Linori village, Arnus Province, May 6th, 0600**

A convoy of Canadian vehicles were starting up their engines. RCT7 was heading out to their next objectives. Amongst them however, was a pair of guests: Ronny and Eric. They had been authorized by the battalion commander to join the team and were now riding in the team's G-wagon. There was enough room inside the jeep to be somewhat comfortable.

"So welcome aboard gentlemen!" greeted Kinh. He then introduced the two CBC employees to the rest of the G-Wagon's crew.

"Thank you lieutenant," replied the reporter and his cameraman in unison.

"Pleasure's all mine."

"So what's going on today?" asked Ronny as the column began to pick up speed.

"Well Mr. Marinin, turns out a Japanese team is evacuating a place called Coda village," briefed Kinh, "The team stumbled on some kind of huge dragon that burnt down another village two nights ago."

"Shit, are there any survivors?"

"Unfortunately, not that I heard of," sighed Kinh, "Anyhow, Command sent some fighters out to hunt down that thing and kill it. Last time I heard, they rerouted an American recon team along with us to reinforce the initial team that was helping them out."

Ronny smiled upon hearing these good news.

"Call me Ronny though," added the reporter, "We're not on national television eh?"

"Fair enough," chuckled the lieutenant, "In that case, call me Kinh then."

"So yeah, what else can you tell me about today's mission?"

"Probably gonna be something very routine. We should be able to catch up to them quickly seeing as how they're using horses drawn carts and wagons. Apparently, the villagers and RCT3 moved out yesterday morning."

There was a question that itched Ronny's mind about the lieutenant. It was because of one of his discussions with Private Nilsson yesterday and a comment that the Vancouver born man had made.

"Euh Kinh?"

"Ouaip?"

"Were you at Ginza?"

"Yeah, like any 4/22 that was training in Japan," snorted the Vietnamese-Canadian.

"I was wondering if it was really you in front of the Gate on that tank."

Kinh turned his head while his face was bearing a surprised expression.

"Yup why?"

"Cause me and Eric were the ones that filmed that moment..."

"Well tabarnak, I'll be damned!" swore Kinh. There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke again... "Crisse, you're the reason that my wife found out about my ass being at Ginza!"

Ronny and Eric cringed a bit upon hearing this.

"Don't worry, you were just doing your jobs," chuckled Kinh, "Marie didn't appreciate finding out that I was in a battle via national TV."

There a slight longing in his eyes as he finished his sentence.

"Oh, I'm not surprised then. That's one of hell of a way to find out," whistled Ronny.

"My left ear's still ringing though heh."

The G-Wagon's occupants let out a small round of laughter as they continued driving alongside the rest of the convoy.

"But yeah, I was wondering this?"

"Yeah Ronny?"

"What's your take on this whole Falmart thing?"

Kinh didn't answer right away. His face was etched in concentration as he searched for his words.

"Well, speaking as an officer, this is nothing very extraordinary," explained Kinh, "We're fighting people who can't even shoot back and we're helping the locals with relief effort as much as we can. It's all part of the job."

"Yeah, but I don't think you guys trained to fight stuff like dragon riders, mages and humanoid warriors."

"We don't... but we killed them by the dozens at Ginza and Arnus so meh," shrugged Kinh, "I'm not impressed so far."

"Makes sense."

"Bah, it's still something to see fantasy like that in front of you eh?", added Kinh, "That and all the stuff we don't have on Earth. For example, the locals have something called the Ma-Guna."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it's some kind of cattle that looks like the bison. That thing should be brought back to Earth. But hey, what do you think of the whole place so far?"

"Me? Eh, it's amazing that I get to cover this for the CBC but I expected more action then this. I've been stuck at Arnus Hill until your superiors allowed me to come with you guys."

"Welcome to our world," grunted Private Fortier, "We were stuck in our trenches for months on that piece of dirt waiting for them to come up the hill. Of course, the flyboys and the artillery got pretty every last one of them before they made even close to us."

"Yeah well, for all we like say about Arnus Hill," sighed Kinh, "Right now, I can't wait to get back there for some rest. We've been driving around for the past weeks. After a while, it turns into a routine. Even down to engaging the enemy...it's mostly target practice for the gunners."

"I can understand what you mean."

"Yeah well, now speaking as a historian, this whole thing is a dream come true." There was a smile on Kinh's face. "We're seeing a real life Roman/Medieval world in front of us while going through a never before seen event. My old friends from UQÀM are probably jealous as fuck right now."

"As well as the documentary makers," added Ronny, "I can imagine people coming over and doing nature documentaries about this place."

"With Charles Tisseyre animating a special episode of _Découvertes_ about the fauna and flora. That'd be awesome."

"Hey Kinh," interrupted Fortier, "I can do a fucking good imitation of him."

"Really?! Do it man. Brisebois put that on the radio"

Fortier cleared his throat before starting while Brisebois activated the radio so that the other vehicles could hear as well.

"Ici Charles Tisseyre. Bienvenue à Découvertes. Au programme: les espèces fascinantes de Falmart." (Translation: This is Charles Tisseyre, Welcome to _Découvertes._ On the program: the fascinating species of Falmart.)

A rather cheerful response came from the other vehicles.

"Tabarnak, est-ce qu'on est sur Découvertes ostie? Fortier, man, t'es bon en crisse mon homme!" exclaimed Julien over the comms. (translation: Tabarnak, are we on _Découvertes_ ostie _?_ Christ, Fortier, man, my man you're good!)

"Thanks buddy!"

"Wonder how long will it take for scientists to come through the Gate?" wondered Eric, "This place is a treasure trove."

"Don't know man but they're gonna have a blast here," answered Kinh, "Well, if all goes well and this war ends quickly."

"True," said Ronny.

 **Skies above Arnus Province, 0700**

A flight of RCAF CF-188E's led by Captain Archer were roaring through the skies. Earlier that morning, they had been ordered to launch fighter sweeps in order to find and destroy a giant dragon that had attacked an isolated forest village and killed all of its inhabitants.

The pilot threw a quick glance at his radar screens. So far, the skies were clear of anything besides other Coalition planes.

' _This is like looking for a needle in a haystack.'_

Elsewhere, his Japanese and American counterparts weren't getting any luck as well.

 **Road to Roche Hills, 1000**

Jimmy was looking out of his Humvee's window while his team was making their way down a small dirt road. Through his binoculars, he was searching for either signs of either RCT3 and the refuge column that they were escorting or RCT7, the other team tasked with aiding them with their mission today.

Much to his satisfaction, the Marine lieutenant could see the dust clouds made by approaching vehicles. A familiar voice came over the radio.

"RCT 11 Actual, this is RCT7 Actual. Do you copy?"

"RCT7 Actual, this is RCT11 Actual. Loud and clear!" replied Jimmy, "Happy to hear from my favorite frog!"

Chuckling could be heard from the other occupants of the Humvee.

"Oh ha-ha! Real original there fucking dumbass!" snorted sarcastically Kinh while his unit moved in behind the Americans, "Anyhow, back to business. You guys contacted RCT3 yet?"

"Yeah, lucky bastards ran into a rainstorm yesterday," stated Jimmy, "They've been stuck in the mud ever since."

"Nice... I hope the locals haven't had too much trouble," sighed Kinh, "I mean they probably have wood carts or some shit like that."

"Makes me wonder though," remarked Jimmy, "Why aren't they coming to Arnus with us? We've been working on a refugee camp for them."

"It'd be easier," replied the Canadian "We'd transport them and their stuff by trucks instead of medieval wagons."

"Yeah, well, for some unknown reason," groaned Jimmy, "They don't want to go to Arnus with us."

"Can't force'em, otherwise they'll say we're kidnapping them."

"Urgh... that's a mess we don't want."

The American-Canadian convoy continued its way on the muddied road. It was rather unexciting as the countryside around them were nothing but large plains and hills. Above them, was a clear blue sky where the sun blazed down on them.

Suddenly, after 15 minutes of random conversations and boring driving, a plume of smoke appeared on the horizon. It came from the other side of a large hill.

"Shit!" swore Jimmy before hailing his Canadian counterpart on the comms, "Kinh, I got smoke in front of me."

In both units, the fighting men tensed upon hearing this. Turret gunners began to scan the horizon for any signs of danger while Ronny and Eric did a quick check of their equipment.

"Crisse! Did you contact RCT3 to check if they're ok!?"

"Already on it!"

Jimmy then grabbed his radio and began hailing RCT3, hoping that nothing bad had happened to them.

"RCT11, this is RCT3 actual," calmly answered Itami, "What's going on?"

"RCT 3, we saw smoke coming from the road and were wondering if you guys were ok."

There was clearly irritation in the Marine's voice.

"One of the wagons broke its axel," reported Itami, "We were forced to burn it down."

"Goddammit Itami," grunted Kinh, "Next time, could you warn us? There's crazy shit happening all over this place."

Meanwhile, in Itami's jeep, he couldn't understand why his North American counterparts weren't too happy about his forces burning down a broken wagon.

"We have the firepower to take on anything we've met so far," defended Itami.

The past skirmishes and battles showed that fact through impressive kill counts and large numbers enemy casualties and no Coalition casualties.

"Don't get cocky," shot back Jimmy, "That's the best way to get killed!"

"We don't know if there's nastier shit out there," added in Kinh.

"Understood," replied lamely the Japanese officer. Just then, a villager ran up to his vehicle's side.

"Excuse me, Loo-te-nant Itami, but some of our wagons have gotten stuck in the mud again," apologetically announced the man. The Japanese officer threw a look at the refugee column behind him and could see that it had stopped. He pulled up his radio's handset.

"Hey guys? The column just stuck in the mud... again," groaned Itami.

"We can see that," dryly remarked Jimmy. By now, the Americans and the Canadians had reached the top of the hill behind RCT3 and Itami's team. They drove downhill as quickly as they could.

For the Coda refugees, seeing more of these Men in Green appearing was a reassuring sight. They were already surprised at the protection and aid that RCT3 offered, but more of the Coalition had arrived to help without any demands? It was generosity that they had never expected from a such powerful foreign army.

However, as the newcomers arrived, the refugees noticed that these men had different, larger, metal green wagons. Some had up to eight wheels on that moved them forward with ease and strange heads with long thin snouts. The heads would turn around, carefully watching the horizon. Other smaller wagons had men atop them behind metal shields and some kind of ballistae.

Much to their surprise however, were the people that disembarked from some of the vehicles. They were dressed very differently from the Jay-sse-Dee-F men that were under Itami's command.

Roughly half of them wore clothing that had a motif made up of little squares of light brown, black and green. Instead of the kind looks of the soldiers of Japan, these men looked like highly disciplined, yet brutish thugs. Many of the refugees felt slightly intimidated upon seeing these barbarian like men. Yet, they could feel a certain safety as well. Something told that these brutes were good at their job. One of them began to speak from a magical horn that made his voice heard even at the head of the column.

"I am Lieutenant Jimmy Foley of the United States Marine Corps!" announced what the villagers presumed to be the leader of this band of warriors, "We have arrived to aid you!"

Another man, dressed differently, began to speak into his horn as well. He was clearly the leader of another group.

"I am Lieutenant Kinh-Luyên Huynh of the Royal 22e Régiment of the Canadian Armed Forces! We too will assist you as well."

The other band of soldiers that had arrived were different as well. These men and women wore clothing that had the same pattern as the United States Marine Corps but with different shades of green, black and a little bit of brown. They had flags on the right sleeves of their uniforms. These had a single bright red leave on a white background while two bright red bands were on either side of the flag. The way these troops carried themselves was also different. Many bore serious expressions on their faces while strong discipline and stern professionalism could be seen in the way they walked as they made their way through the muddied road to help the jammed wagons and their owners. An aura of protectiveness radiated from these men could be felt by the refugees.

Perhaps what struck the Coda villagers the most were how different these men were in appearance. They had already seen the more golden tone of skin of the Japanese but had not expected such diverse looking men and women. Some looked had fair skin like them while others had a very pronounced tan, brownish tone to them. Others looked like dark elves but were clearly human in their facial traits.

The Coalition troops began splitting up into small groups and helping the locals push their carts. Behind one of them were Chief Corporal Zachary Lavigne, privates Julien Leclaire, Alice Gagnon and Joël Côté.

"À trois!" called the Corporal. "UNE, DEUX, TROIS!"

The soldiers began to heave as they pushed the wagon forward. Meanwhile, Sergeant Mathieu Tremblay-Gagnon and Corporal Andrew Moore were moving over to meet them. The two saw their fellow Canadians struggle and Mathieu decided to give them a quick hand as well. He began pushing alongside Zach and with a mighty "Aweille tabarnak!", the wagon was unstuck from the mud patch it had been caught in.

"Thanks man."

"Pas de trouble buddy...try not make us to look bad in front of the Americans ok?" replied a winking Mathieu in French.

Elsewhere, Kinh and Jimmy were making their way towards the head of the column. They had passed half a dozen stuck carts and could hear the sound of men and horse struggling to extract themselves.

"I think we should use the trucks and jeeps to get them unstuck," suggested Kinh. Jimmy shook his head at this idea and left out a breath.

"Nah, bad idea man," replied the American. He was already feeling the exasperation as they continued trudging on the muddied road.

"How come?"

"Don't think their wagons are sturdy enough."

"Good point," nodded Kinh, "Kind of makes me wish we had magic here."

"Yup."

Unknown to them, a blue haired girl riding a donkey drawn wagon with her master was looking at them in curiosity as the two officers passed.

After an hour, the Coda refugees were once more underway. Itami's team was at the head of the convoy while Jimmy and Kinh's forces each guarded a flank. It was rather boring with the Coalition troops trying to entertain themselves in various ways. Unfortunately for many of the non-otaku crowd, Kurata and Itami began to sing their favorite anime songs in order to kill time... and were joined by the other otakus in RCT7 and RCT11. Terrible off-key singing could be heard over the radio and in the various vehicles until Jimmy and Kinh put their foot down with rather colourful swearing.

Just when Itami thought things would have calmed down, he spotted a large flock of black birds hovering over the road. A quick look through his binoculars revealed what appeared to be a small girl that was sitting on the road.

"A gothic lolita girl?!" exclaimed Itami. Upon hearing this, Kurata stopped the jeep and let out an exclamation as well.

As if she heard his surprise, the pale skinned child stood up while holding a very large halberd. There was something unnatural with her. Her long black hair flowed behind her while her bright red eyes held some kind of mischief as she approached Itami's jeep.

"Hey Itami? You there? There's a kid heading your way."

It was Jimmy who had seen her as well.

"Tell me I'm not hallucinating guys," confusedly asked Kinh, "But there's a fucking creepy looking girl that's heading towards you Itami."

He made a quick sign for Fortier to drive the G-Wagon towards the head of the column and could see Jimmy's Humvee do it as well.

"Nope, you're not seeing things man... there's really someone there!" replied the astonished Marine. She started speaking loudly enough for them to hear. In the confusion, they were left speechless.

Before anyone could say anything, some of the Coda children that were riding in Itami's jeep jumped off and ran up to her, happily shouting something in their language about an Oracle. Their elders walked towards her as well, reverence in their steps and on their faces. They dropped to their knees in prayer as she spoke to them in a tone of voice that only a very old and wise person could.

There was a caring tone in her voice as she began speaking to the refugees.

"Where are you from?" asked curiously Rory Mercury, "Did these men force you from your village?"

"No, Oracle," happily answered a child, "They're helping us."

"A fire dragon is on the loose," explained a tired old woman before another villager added to her explanation.

"We couldn't stay in our village, it was too dangerous."

The whole scene didn't go unnoticed by Itami, Kurata and the other occupant of their jeep, Sgt. First Class Mari Kurokawa, RCT3's medic as well as their American and Canadian counterparts. By now, Jimmy's Humvee and Kinh's G-Wagon had gotten close and were on a different side of RCT3's lead vehicle. The Japanese team had a brief conversation between them about their observations on the strange girl that turned out to be a local religious figure while the American and Canadians were chatting over the radio about the situation. Ronny and Eric on the other hand, had begun to record the moment.

As if she read their mind and sensed their curiosity, she walked up to Itami's jeep. When ensued next was one of the most embarrassing moment of his life. After attempting nervously to speak to her, the Japanese officer opened his door.

Before anyone could do anything, she threw her into Itami's lap. Much to his embarrassment, she began to squirm, making the jeep bounce around.

"Whoa, wait I'm married! Please get off of me! Please move!" nervously demanded the unfortunate red-faced lieutenant, "Don't touch the pistol!"

"That's not fair sir!" cried a jealous Kurata, "NO FAIR!"

"Get off!" desperately asked Itami. There were other cries of distress from him while Kurata vocally expressed his jealousy.

At the same time, Jimmy and Kinh were looking at the whole moment and doing their best not to laugh at their colleague's predicament.

"Crisse, I don't know if I should laugh or not," chuckled Kinh, "Ahh fuck it." He let out a roar of his devilish laughter.

"Bro, you have a creep-ass laugh you know that?" sarcastically asked Jimmy, "This is just fucking hilarious man."

He then contacted Itami via radio.

"Yo, I know you're into weird ass anime-manga stuff and I always approve getting some yams... but we're in the middle of a mission here man."

"Also, that's a fucking kid," dryly added Kinh, "Didn't know you were a fucking pedo."

"GUYS, I'M NOT HAVING FUN RIGHT NOW!" shouted a rather panicked Itami over the comms, "NO, GET OFF!"

' _Ahhck, fuck it, I'm saving your ass Itami,'_ mentally grumbled Kinh as he got off his G-Wagon and made his way towards his unfortunate friend. ' _Better get some good beer for this.'_

He could barely hold a snort of laughter as he saw his friend squirm under the girl and beg her to get off his lap. He quickly noted that her eyes were an unusual bright blood red color.

"Hey kid!" called out Kinh in Saderan, "I'm gonna have to ask you to get off my friend's lap. We're trying to do our jobs here!"

There was a definite authority and annoyance in his voice. Unfortunately, the child didn't appear to respect him as she gracefully leapt from Itami's lap and promptly slapped Kinh with enough force to send him spinning to the ground.

"OW TABARNAK!" yelled Kinh as he fell, "That's gonna leave a fucking mark," muttered the man.

"I'm not a child," angrily stated the girl. She threateningly pointed her halberd at Kinh.

"I have seen far more conflict than you _little boy_ ," explained cheekily the girl. She hadn't noticed that Lévesque had pointed his turret's machine gun at her or that Ronny and Eric were filming the whole scene.

"You ok sir!?" shouted the man. He was met by a thumbs up from his commanding officer.

"Alright, just let us do our fucking jobs ok!?" angrily retorted Kinh, "Just how old are you?!"

There was a brief pause as he saw the deadly glare on her face. "On second thought, don't answer that ok?"

She seemed to relax a bit before talking again.

"I am Rory Mercury, Apostle to Emroy, god of war, darkness, violence and death." There was childlike glee in her voice as she spoke, "You are?"

"Lieutenant Kinh-Luyên Huynh of the Canadian Armed Forces," politely answered the man.

He didn't want to test her mercurial temper again... seeing as how she went from murderous rage to happy curiosity in almost an instant.

By now, Jimmy had walked over from his Humvee. He was glaring at Rory while his stance showed that he was ready for anything.

"You ok man?" asked the Marine in English.

"Yeah, more fear than harm," replied Kinh, "That's something that you guys say in English right?"

"Not really man, but I get what you mean."

Throwing a glance at Itami, Kinh yelled at him.

"Man, you fucking owe me a beer for saving your fucking ass from creepy kid."

Rory looked at these men in curiosity as they argued in a different language in front of her.

"Yeah no problems but euh, can we get moving again?" asked a nervous Itami. By now, he had regained some of his composure as well. Unfortunately, Rory had insisted on riding with him. Both American and Canadian nodded in approval at this before heading back to their respective vehicles. They certainly didn't want to have a creepy kid riding on their lap. As they did so, Jimmy decided to rub some salt into Kinh's wounded ego.

"Dude... you got your ass kicked by a fucking kid," laughed the Marine.

"Fuck you man. That's no kid."

"Did I hurt your feelings?" asked Jimmy in a fake motherly voice.

"Nah... either way, I can get them checked," joked Kinh, "Free healthcare eh?"

Jimmy did a facepalm before looking at his friend in annoyance. He faked a yawn before throwing back another remark.

"That joke is getting old man,"

"Worth a try eh?"

"Whatever."

As Kinh got back on his G-wagon, he could hear his men snicker at him. A swift death glare at each one of them silenced them. Throwing a glance at the CBC reporter riding with him, rapidly shooting a question.

"I hope that's not ending up on national television."

"Nah, no worries, your ego is safe," replied Ronny before Eric added a quick friendly remark.

"Yeah the footage is garbage anyways."

"Merci les boys!" exclaimed Kinh before sitting back in his seat.

Outside, the column had begun moving once again at a snail's pace. Itami checked his map again and saw that they still had a couple of hours to go before the Coda refugees could get off on their own.

Everything pointed to a very long and dreary ride...

 **Roche Hills, 1120**

Jimmy stifled a yawn of boredom as he looked out the passenger's window, trying to find any signs of danger. Sweat trickled down his brow as the blazing sun shone brightly above them. His Humvee was turning into a heat trap, much to his discomfort. A gut feeling had kept nagging him ever since the convoy had started to move. So far, there had been nothing to prove that feeling right.

He suddenly heard a roar in the skies followed by a panicked radio call from Itami.

"Damn it, battlestations!" shouted Itami into the radio, "Jimmy, Kinh! That's the dragon that attacked the other village!"

Behind them, the red monster was swooping down mercilessly on the refugees. To the horror of the Coalition troops, a great breath fire emerged from its maw and engulfed a group of wagons and refugees. Cries of terror could be heard from them as many pushed their heavily burdened horses and wagons to move as fast as possible in the vain hopes of outrunning the dragon which was about to land amongst the scattering villagers. The three teams were now speeding back towards the dragon from their respective positions in the convoy while the news crew began filming. The 25mm cannons on the larger American and Canadian fighting vehicles had started engaging the monster. Small blasts appeared on it and bits of its scales were falling off.

"Son of a bitch!" roared Kinh into the radio, "Brisebois! Dit à HQ qu'on a trouvé le fucking dragons pis qui envoie l'Air Force ostie!"

"Yes sir!"

"Anyone's got a plan?!" asked Itami. He heard Sergeant Major Kuwahara encouraging RCT 3 over the radio by saying that fighting giant monsters was a Self-Defense Force tradition.

"We'll fucking improvise something," shouted back Jimmy. There was a brief pause as he thought of a plan.

"Wait! Try and envelop that thing! Hit it from both sides at once!"

"Good idea, worth a try!" came Kinh's reply. The three officers began frantically coordinating their troops'. RCT3, having lighter vehicles, would split up in two and reinforce the more heavily armed American and Canadians. Gunfire could be heard coming from the various teams as they threw closer to the beast. The Canadians headed for the creature's right while the Americans took the other side.

Kinh was madly firing his C7A2 and swearing. He could see through his scope that his bullets were useless, much to his chagrin, anger and annoyance. Curses were racing through his mind and mouth. He was barely aware of whatever else happened around him. The other teams were uselessly pouring fire onto the gigantic flame dragon as it rampaged through the refugees.

Fortier was doing his best to steer the G-Wagon over the rough ground and avoiding obstacles as well the dragon's breath while Lévesque was going through the mounted C6's ammo belt. At the same time, Ronny and Eric continued filming the whole sequence with the reporter doing his best to explain the chaotic situation.

"KINH!" cried Lévesque, causing the lieutenant to stop firing and turn his head back in surprise.

"LÉVESQUE?! What the fuck are you doing?!"

The private had stopped firing and gotten down from the G-Wagon's turret. He then pointed to a pair of cases at the back of the jeep. "We have fucking Stingers tabarnak!"

"Oh shit right! Ready that thing and fuck that fucking lizard." He then grabbed the radio, "Guys, don't you have Stingers!?"

"Shit, you're fucking right!" called back Jimmy before ordering one of his Marines to ready the missile.

"Dammit!, we have only have unguided Panzerfausts!" replied back Itami, "We won't hit that thing at all!"

Kinh shook his head in irritation upon hearing this. "A couple of hits should be good!" he barked, "Lévesque, crisse y une ostie tabarnak! JE VEUX SA CALISSE DE TÊTE AU MUSÉE À OTTAWA!"

The private unpacked and readied the missile launcher.

"Criss ouais!" he yelled. Aiming at the monster's head, Lévesque waited and muttered impatiently for the missile lock to sound. The seconds felt like minutes before the tone sounded.

"CLEAR! FIRE!"

The Stinger flew out of its tube, hurling towards the dragon's head. Unfortunately, it roared another time before unleashing a fire breath at RCT7. The vehicles scattered and dodged it but not the missile. Engulfed in flames, the warhead detonated well before hitting the dragon. The explosion had surprised it. It had never seen something like it before.

Before it could react, another Stinger slammed into its right cheek. The blast had left a black scorch on its face and blown off part of its snout. The creature howled in pain and roared its anger at being defied in such a way.

Itami had paused his firing, hoping that the monster was fleeing. However, it appeared resolute and kept on fighting.

To his surprise, however, the blonde elf girl that he had saved in the burned village's well had awakened and was yelling at him while pointing at her eye.

"Eye?" asked

"EYE!" shouted the naked elf, "EYE!"

Itami grabbed his radio's handset. "Everyone, target the eyes!" He was met with Kinh and Jimmy both yelling "Oh shit, why didn't we think of that!?"

The Coalition troops shifted their fire towards the dragon's eyes. Bits of its face was flying off as 25mm cannon shells exploded against the thinner hide. Howls of pain could be heard while the dragon raised its arms to protect itself against these new challengers.

Seeing how the dragon was now immobilized, Itami ordered one of his team members to engage it with a Panzerfaust 3.

The next instants would remain engraved in the minds of each of the troops present. A Japanese private, Katsumoto, prepared to fire the rocket launcher. As he went through the procedure, the LAV in which he was hit a bump, causing him to snatch the trigger.

Just when everyone thought that the rocket would miss, a giggling Rory opened the backdoor of Itami's jeep. She gracefully back flipped onto the roof with superhuman agility and precision. She had barely landed that she threw her halberd towards the dragon.

Flying through the air, Rory's halberd instead landed in the ground near the dragon. Lighting emerged from it as the earth shook from the impact of the godly weapon. The monster roared in surprise and moved erratically. Such a brusque movement placed its left arm right in the path of the Panzerfaust 3's rocket.

A explosion ripped easily off the creature's left arm. A howl of pain could be heard as the injured monster finally flew off, having had enough of being on the receiving end of heavy weapons.

The Coalition vehicles moved towards each other before stopping. Some of their occupants stumbled out, wide-eyed at what they had just survived. The smell of freshly burnt land lingered around them while anxious refugees, recovering from such an ordeal, began furiously moving around. They desperately ran through the burnt land and shattered wagons, hoping to find their loved ones alive.

Jimmy was the first one to regain his wits. Lighting up a cigarette, he immediately yelled for his team to begin assisting the Coda villagers.

"Alright gents, get a fucking move on! These people need our help now, rah?"

"Rah, sir!" answered the Marines before rushing forth to aid the villagers. Looking over at the Canadians and Japanese, both Kinh and Itami had finally snapped out of their thousand yard stares and began issuing orders to their troops. Both men looked tired as their shoulders sagged. After he finished giving orders, Itami was on his radio with his superiors at Arnus, detailing them with what had happened.

The devastation wrought by the dragon was easily seen as the bodies of horses and civilians littered the ground. The three teams' medics and corpsman were doing their best to treat but many were seriously wounded while the rest did their best to help the medical personnel or the refugees by handing some of their food and water to removing those stuck under debris, alive or dead.

"Hey Jimmy, we got some news from Arnus," stated wearily Itami as he made his way from his jeep, "Backup should be here in a few hours."

"Right, let's see how we can help these people out then."

"Honestly, I don't think we can do much good here," tiredly sighed Kinh, "There's so many injured and there's like three dozen of us."

"We'll do our best then bro," replied Jimmy. Looking over at the devastation, he could see his colleague's point.

Meanwhile, the CBC news crew was wandering around, trying capture as much of the scene that played before them on camera while Ronny was taking notes about what to say. After the adrenaline rush of being caught in a battle with a gigantic fire breathing dragon came a sense of powerlessness at seeing the refugees' distress.

"I'm not even sure how we can describe this... horror," sighed Ronny, "There's no words that can be used to explain what just happened here."

"Good thing we're not live eh?" dryly remarked Eric as he kept filming

"Yeah, this would have been a pain to describe. Thank god for editing software too."

"Hey, could you turn that off?" rudely asked a Canadian private that had appeared, "These refugees aren't a freak show to get some more viewers eh," She clearly disapproved of the reporter filming the scene.

"Excuse me, but we're doing our jobs here," retorted Eric, "Like you!"

He was not in the mood of being chastised by anyone. Before someone could say anything, Ronny stepped in to calm everyone down.

"Eric, calm down alright? I got this shit."

He then turned to the soldier, noting that she looked middle-eastern. "Excuse me private?"

"Abdelsaleem."

"Well, our people back home need to see what's happening here," explained the reporter, "These refugees, they need all the help they can get. If everyone back home sees this... as Canadians, we won't stand for this shit."

The trooper seemed to deflate before grumbling again.

"Did you at least get permission for this from my CO?"

"If you mean Lt. Huynh, he asked us to do it."

"Fine, I'll let you guys do this and I hope it really does something good."

"Yeah well, let's hope so." dryly replied Abdelsaleem before resuming her tasks.

Ronny and Eric blew a sigh of relief once the woman was out of earshot. They began filming again and wandering around. Most of the very busy refugees and Coalition troops didn't notice them walking around and recording everything.

"We dodged that bullet," muttered Eric, "You'd think they'd be more supportive of us."

"Probably just didn't want us getting in the way."

"Meh, still annoying."

A blue haired, blue eyed young girl walked to them from her nearby wagon. She wore a light green dress with a blue tabard on it while she carried a staff with a blue stone in it. Her face was expressionless as she looked at the CBC news crew.

"Excuse me?" asked emotionlessly the girl, "What are you doing?"

She had seen the two outworlders walking around. Unlike the others, they wore rather simple clothing. One carried a large black box with a tube like front on his shoulder and was pointing it at the other villagers. He had turned it at her. She noticed that at the end of the tube, there was a rectangular opening with glass in it. He wore simple blue pants, an unusual sleeveless, black tunic with many pockets that stopped at his hips and a dark green shirt with short sleeves and a folded collar.

The other had been writing on strange square parchment held by metal rings. He wore a black helmet similar in shape to those worn by the soldier and had some kind of black armour with white writing on its front that covered his chest. He wore a white checkered short sleeved shirt underneath his armour and tan pants.

The two men looked at her, a confused look on their faces. They appeared to be searching for their words.

Upon closer look, the blue haired girl noticed how these men were different from the people that she lived with. The man taking notes had light brown skin, dark hair and eyes while the one carrying the black box resembled the battlemages she had met that came from the land of Japan.

Finally, the brown skinned man looked like he found what to say.

"We're trying to record the story that is happening here," explained the man, "I'm Ronny Marinin, CBC reporter and this is my colleague and cameraman, Eric Wong."

She kept staring at them before talking in a drone like voice. Though they spoke her language, it was somewhat choppy at moments. She was also curious.

"Oh? I am Lelei La Lalena of the Rurodo Tribe and mage-disciple to Cato El Altestan. May you explain how you will record what is happening here?"

This time, Eric lowered the camera before explaining.

"Well you see, we use this box called a ka-me-ra to paint flawless moving pictures that are stored inside."

"Ka-me-ra?"

"Yes, in addition, it can also record sounds of everything it paints," added in Ronny, "We can then show the paintings and listen to their sounds on a special frame."

Lelei turned her head at Ronny. "What is a re-por-ter?"

"A reporter has the job of telling the story about our moving paintings so that those watching them can understand what's happening on them," proudly explained the Canadian, "We're from Canada."

"Ka-na-da?"

"Our home country. We sent some of the soldiers here." answered Eric. He pointed some of the Van Doos working around to aid the injured. The blue haired girl turned around looking at the men and women milling around.

"Soldiers? Are they not mages?"

"I can tell you with certainty that we aren't mages Miss?"

A tall, stern faced man wearing green clothes was looking at Lelei followed by another one. She could see that this man had brown hair while his eyes were masked by dark, oddly shaped glasses that closely hugged his face. He was followed by a tanned man with dark hair. The girl quickly introduced herself before asking the leading man a question.

"How can you not be mages?" wondered Lelei, "You used such powerful magic against the Flame Dragon."

"I can tell you that these are weapons, not magic Ms. Lalena." replied the soldier, "I haven't introduced myself but I'm Sergeant Mathieu Tremblay-Gagnon from the Canadian Army and this is Corporal Andrew Moore."

The blue girl merely looked at both men and nodded. Another one of the otherworldly soldiers, a tall black haired woman from the land of Japan walked up to the Canadian sergeant. Her face was tense with irritation while her blue eyes were fixed on him.

"Excuse me, but are you Sergeant Mathieu Tremblay-Gagnon?"

"Yeah why?"

With a quick breath, the female trooper introduced herself to the Canadians.

"Yes, well I'm Sergeant Mari Kurokawa, RCT3's medic."

Mathieu raised an eyebrow at this. What kind of medic was she is she was here? Andrew looked at his superior in surprise at the Japanese woman's presence.

"So, hum, why are you talking to me instead of helping out?"

"It's about Corporal Frederic Tremblay," explained seriously Kurokawa, "He's carrying his rifle around while treating the injured refugees."

The Canadian sergeant looked over at Fred and didn't notice anything unusual. The corporal and another Van Doo were busy bandaging a wounded farmer's leg.

"Did he, I don't know, wave his gun at someone's face or something," The Japanese medic shook her head, "Leave the safety off?"

"No, he's carrying his weapon around while..."

"Whoa wait a minute," interrupted Mathieu, "You're telling that my _**combat**_ medic is carrying his rifle around _**safely**_ in case if something goes wrong while doing his job properly?" He briefly paused in his sarcastic tirade, "And, at the same time, you're wasting your time complaining to me instead of helping out? Sounds like he's doing a better job than you are."

Kurokawa drew a sharp breath at his irony laced remark before giving a dry retort while Andrew was doing his best to contain his snickering.

"Excuse me, but I had expected this kind of... callous attitude from the Americans but not from Canadians. Aren't you supposed to be trained as peacekeepers!?"

The Canadian sergeant merely rolled his eyes at this affirmation.

"Just because we're good peacekeepers doesn't mean we're harmless little hippies eh? Unlike you guys, we just happen to have come out of a shithole named Afghanistan alongside the Americans. Maybe it doesn't occur to you that problems can come from anywhere but they do! My medic's doing a good job right now patching up people and making sure everyone is safe unlike you wasting my time!"

Kurokawa's answer came through gritted teeth.

"I understand!"

She stormed off but she heard the Canadian section commander call out to her.

"Don't go bothering my lieutenant... he doesn't have as much patience as I do!"

Mathieu watched the Japanese medic return to her tasks and blew a sigh of relief. Andrew was chuckling but a glare from his sergeant promptly shut him up.

"Urgh... ostie qu'ils font durs," (Can't really be translated to English litterally... the meaning would be "Goddamn amateurs.") "Even the reservists are smarter than that."

"Man, I hope they get wiser or else it's gonna be messy." added Moore.

"Indeed."

 **Roche Hill, 1900**

A strange purple glow rose from the ground as the last grave was filled in by the Coda refugees and Coalition troops. A mechanized infantry platoon had finally arrived to reinforce the initial escort along with a group of trucks to pick the villagers that had wanted to take refuge at Arnus instead.

By now, the coalition soldiers was standing in mourning alongside the people of Coda. Many were weeping for their fallen kin while others were comforting them for their loss. A few of the troops had handed it out various candy bars from their rations and personal supplies. It wasn't much but for many villagers, the intent spoke volumes.

For the Coalition troops, it was a new experience to witness the burial rites of the people here. They heard the many different prayers made in Saderan to the various gods of Falmart. Once the rituals were done, much to the surprise of the American, Canadians and Japanese, some of the villagers had asked if they could pray to the gods of their lands to protect the departed. At their request, the various soldiers began praying in their own respective faiths or paying quietly their respect.

Finally, the villager leader came to speak privately with the leaders of the recon teams.

"We have never seen such generosity from any army that have walked this land and we shall never forget our debt to you. You have done so much for my people and we do not wish to be more of a burden to your nations. Our paths must split here. I thank you for all you have done and for the help you will give to those that we cannot care for."

The first to speak was Kinh.

"Thank you for your kind words. We wish you good tidings."

"Don't worry about those left in our care," added Jimmy, "We'll make sure that they'll be well taken care of."

"You have our word," promised Itami.

The column of refugees finally began moving. They cheered their gratefulness and happily waved goodbye at the coalition. The wagons and carts slowly moved away. Turning back to the crowd of refugees that were looking at them from the back of the various parked trucks, the three officers gave kind, reassuring smiles to those that would be coming to Arnus. A small conversation started before they headed back to their vehicles.

"Boys, I think we'll be doing a lot of good here," said Kinh.

"I think you're right man," replied Itami, "Whoever rules this place should learn from us."

"Oorah to that. Let's get moving to Arnus."

 **FOB Arnus, May 8th, 0900**

As the convoy approached Arnus Hill, the refugees could only stare in awe but what they saw before them. They had a small taste of the three nations' might during the fight against the Flame Dragon but to see sights such as the otherworlders' metal birds roaring through the skies to wings of flying chariots soaring in perfect formation. It was breathtaking.

As for the recon teams, it was a welcome feeling to be back at Arnus. After a quick chat earlier at a checkpoint held by a squad of Marines and their leader, they were able to return quickly to the base.

"Finally, home sweet home," muttered Kinh over the radio, "Good thing that sergeant could take care of things."

"What? Tired already?" joked Jimmy, "You guys are soft man."

"Dude, we just fucking fought an oversized piece of wallet. Pardon me if I don't feel like dealing with a checking a suspicious convoy after all that."

"Either way, we still have paperwork to do with all that happened," added Itami, "Probably gonna have a lot too."

"Man... ta yeule!" (very blunt way of saying shut up)

Jimmy groaned in annoyance before noticing something on the sides of the road.

"Looks like they're starting to build up the refugee town."

Large construction vehicles were digging into the nearby ground while engineers on the ground supervised the operation. The thick forest around were no more as they had been cleared to make way for settlements. Large trucks moved the dirt being dug out to other spots.

Inside Itami's jeep, Lelei watched in curiosity at the sight before her. How powerful were these men? Turning her head towards the front, she looked at the Japanese officer.

"Excuse me sir, what are those metal creatures and soldiers doing?"

There was nothing to indicate her curiosity as she asked her question. Itami started his explanation about the refugee camp being built. Unfortunately, that broke a dam and he ended having to tiredly explain the concept of modern construction equipment rather than taking a quick nap.

After a few moments of driving, they arrived at the main building in the base. Stepping off for the trucks, the refugees looked in awe at the sight before them. Great square like buildings made of a greyish material rose before them while metal towers reached far into the skies. The air was filled with completely alien sounds around while soldiers dressed in various green uniforms were tending to various tasks around them. Some of them, led by a man wearing a wool cap and carrying a pad with some kind of parchment walked to the newly arrived group. The fighting men from the three recon teams had disembarked, knowing what awaited them next.

For the troops and their officers, it meant a quick debriefing while the CBC news crew blew sighs of relief at being finally back at base. Major Parent saluted the newly arrived troops.

"Good job out there gentlemen dealing with that dragon," congratulated the man, "I want a full report on what happened."

"Thank you sir, much appreciated," answered Kinh. He internally groaned at the prospect of doing more paperwork. Fate decided to mock the lieutenant.

"I also expect you to fill in the documents for the refugees from Coda Village as well," ordered the major.

"Yes sir." unenthusiastically answered the three recon team leaders.

"Have a good day gentlemen."

Major Parent handed a stack of documents to each of the lieutenants present and began heading to his office. Realization struck him and he suddenly turned on his heels and went over to the CBC news crew.

"Excuse me, M. Marinin do you have any footage of that dragon attack?"

"Yes, yes we do," replied Ronny, "Do you want us to show it to you?"

"Of course. Come with me then," ordered the major, "I'd like to show it to the generals upstairs."

"Yes sir!"

The three officers looked dejectedly at the pile of documents in their hands.

"Let's just get this dull ass shit sorted it out," groaned Jimmy.

Looking over at the group of assembled refugees, Kinh feigned enthusiasm.

"Okydoky, let's get this shit done."

Jimmy looked at his Canadian counterpart in annoyance.

"Man, are you fucking five years old?" sarcastically asked the Marine, "Who the fuck says okydoky as an adult?"

"My World War One teacher at university," dryly retorted Kinh, "Got a problem with that?"

"Well we aren't at your frog university in Quebekistan either."

Itami stood awkwardly while his two friends were at each other's neck. It was still peculiar for him to see how the Canadians and Americans would interact with each other. One moment, they would be very friendly to each other and the next, they would be trying to fiercely outdo each other in various competitions or throwing insults until one got annoyed. Finally, the two North Americans stopped throwing insults at each other. It always appear to Itami that the two would bait each other for the sake of baiting.

Engrossed by the sights around them, the refugees hadn't noticed the two men being at each others' necks. The three officers started registering the newcomers and started taking their personal information.

Thankfully, during the three months stuck on Arnus Hill, language classes had been dispensed to the Coalition troops. To the surprise of the brass, the Van Doos picked up Saderan with the most ease as it was a language similar to Latin. The Van Doos, being Francophones, had less trouble as French was a descendant of Latin.

Some of the refugees looked in fear as the strange soldiers began guarding them and asking them information about themselves. Were they being taken as slaves?

Noticing the fear in their eyes, Itami quickly spoke up to reassure them.

"Don't worry, we are taking your names, places of origin and ages so that if anything happens to you, it'll be easier for our... healers to help you."

The proceedings went on smoothly after this declaration with the officers explaining that they were from three different nations. There was three to four dozen refugees from Coda Village. They were the unfortunate children and elderly who had lost their family or were badly injured by the fire dragon's attack. The injured were rapidly whisked away by medical personnel to the field hospital.

As the soldiers spoke, Lelei noticed something how different each of their accent sounded. They truly were from different lands. The men from the lands of Canada and the United States had very similar accents while the man from Japan sounded different, the way he spoke sounding a bit more forced in her mind unlike his allies.

"What's your full name, age and place of birth?" asked Jimmy as he looked at a blue haired girl holding a staff.

She give him her answer. It made the Marine raise an eyebrow at hearing how monotone she sounded for someone her age.

"Reminds me of a couple girls I met at university," muttered Kinh as he wrote down her information. _'A few of them actually dyed their hair blue.'_

When it came to turn of the lone surviving elf, it surprised the Canadian when he heard her name. She had been given surplus combat uniforms and her clothing looked rather mismatched. Her shirt was clearly a MARPAT one while she received CADPAT pants and Japanese boots.

"I am Tuka Luna Marceau," nervously answered the elf in Saderan, "Daughter of Hodor Marceau of Koan Forest."

' _Marceau!?'_ mentally exclaimed Kinh, ' _I had a professor named liked that crisse!'_

"Ahem, excusez-moi, parlez-vous Français mademoiselle Marceau?" (Excuse me, do you speak French Miss Marceau?) asked the Lieutenant. She merely looked at him in confusion while Jimmy turned his head and mouthed "Are you fucking kidding me?" Itami looked embarrassed as well.

"Worth a try eh?" whispered back the Canadian. Jimmy merely shook his head at this and the men carried on with the procedures. Everyone rose an eyebrow when Tuka answered that she was 165 years old.

 _'The girl sure fits the cliché elf description_ ,' mused Kinh while writing down her information, ' _Can't wait to get some rest though.'_

When it came to Rory's turn, the men decided it was better to write off her age as being unknown. No one wanted to be thrown like a ragdoll and start a situation. After a few people were processed, the three officers let out a sigh of relief. They had finished the first part of their bureaucratic nightmare and ordered their teams to lead the newly arrived refugees to their temporary camp.

 **Coalition planning room, 1100**

Various senior officers were seated at tables. They were from the various units deployed in Falmart and had been summoned for an emergency meeting. A white screen and projector had been installed while a reporter and his cameraman looked on nervously from the side of the room.

"Man, I hope they don't confiscate the footage we took," wished Eric, "That'd be a bummer."

"I don't know," whispered back Ronny. He certainly didn't want such impressive videos to be confiscated. General Hazama cleared his throat, signalling the meeting to start.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I've called this emergency meeting following new information brought in by three of our recon teams."

He briefly paused as his colleagues began writing.

"As you may have heard, Recon Team Three has encountered a large winged creature attacking a settlement before returning to Coda village and evacuating them."

A picture of the fire dragon appeared on a screen. Judging by the darkness, it was early night. There was a large breath of fire engulfing a forest.

"This photo was taken by Lieutenant Itami Youji during a recon mission a few days ago. The settlement was completely wiped out save for one yound woman. The footage you'll be seeing next was taken by M. Ronny Marinin and M. Eric Wong that accompanied RCT7 during the Coda Village education."

The video started playing. The sound of automatic fire mixed with colourful Québécois swearing could be heard as the film played. Sparks appeared all over the dragon where bullets shattered on impact and while 25mm shells tore bits of the creature's hide. The various officers gathered were whispering amongst themselves about how such a monster exist and, most importantly, how to kill it. They witnessed the use of Stingers and Panzerfaust-3's and their devastating results on the dragon. They also noted the flying halberd that landed near the monster and made a note to read the detailed reports from the officers and NCO's present.

"This Flame Dragon is to be classified as a Class-One Special Region Harmful Animal due to its resilience and capability to inflict vast amounts of damage."

Vivid discussions soon dominated the room as officers gathered around a nearby planning table and debated the best way to destroy it before it struck again. Ronny and Eric merely stood there, wondering would happen next. They were beginning to lose hope that they would able to broadcast the battle against the dragon on the news. Thinking quickly, the reporter went over to General Hazama. He was slightly awed at the man's imposing presence.

"Excuse me, General Hazama, I would like to know if I could keep the footage and show it to our world? The people back home would want to see our troops fighting that monster and helping refugees. I think seeing that would boost popular support for the Coalition's presence here."

The general briefly grunted as he quickly evaluated his options. He made a sign to one of his subordinates to bring him the recording.

"Yes, M. Marinin, I don't see any problems with you showing our battle against that monster. I would like however to have a copy for our use."

Ronny's face lit up like a child on Christmas morning as he took back the disc.

"Thank you sir! Of course sir!"

He and Eric excitedly made their way out of the planning room. As they walked through the building's hallways, they could see various officers in various offices and cubicles working on their paperwork. They recognized Kinh, Jimmy and Itami tiredly filling various forms in different cubicles. Looks of annoyances could be seen on their faces as they struggled not to fall asleep on their work.

Not wanting to dawdle any longer, the CBC news crew quickly headed back to the reporters' quarter. As they arrived, they were greeted by other worried and excited news crews who bombarded.

"You guys all right?! Heard you filmed a giant dragon attack!"

"Can we have some of that footage for the people back home?"

"Where did that happen? Can you show us?!"

Ronny raised his hand to calm the herd of reporters standing before him.

"We're all right man and Earth absolutely needs to see this."

Before he could finish he was saying, an American reporter yelled out "Someone set a room for this!" The Torontonian reporter and his cameraman were picked by their enthusiastic colleagues and carried to a viewing room inside the reporters' quarters.

 **National Defense Headquarters, Ottawa, May 7th, 0900**

Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister of Defense Sajjan and the Armed Forces Council had just finished viewing the footage of the dragon attack as well as the care given by the troops to the refugees.

Relief went through the various officials. Their troops had survived against all odds in the engagement. They had managed to badly maul that monster. Most importantly however for Trudeau and his cabinet was the very caring treatment being given by their troops to the locals after the attack. Various reports had made their way to Canada and into the press but seeing the CBC footage was another thing.

They saw how the Van Doos patched up the injured, shared their rations and helped dig the graves for the dead. Such powerful images could only boost public support for the presence of the Canadian Forces in Falmart as well as block any naysayers in the opposition parties. Election day was coming soon and spirits were high in the Liberal party's ranks.

Plans were drawn up to increase the humanitarian supplies and troops sent through the Gate. Calls were made to the Oval Office and the Japanese Prime Minister's office as well. The refugees in Arnus needed the Coalition to come through as soon as possible.

 **CBC News, 1000**

"This just in," announced Mark Kelley, the CBC's daytime anchorman, "Falmart Coalition troops engage Flame Dragon. Our special region correspondant, Ronny Marinin reports."

The feed went from the CBC news room to an office in FOB Arnus with Ronny at its center with the headline "Coalition battles against Flame Dragon, saves refugees" at the bottom of the screen.

"To all our viewers back home, it is currently very late here in Falmart," explained the reporter, "However the story I've got for you tonight must be told as fast as possible."

"So what exactly happened Ronny?" asked the anchorman, "What exactly is this fire dragon?"

"Well, Mark, to start from the beginning, my team to get attached to a group of Canadian troops sent out to reinforce a village that they secured under coalition influence."

As he narrated, images of frightened villagers being aided by Canadian soldiers filled the screen. The viewers could see the humanitarian side of their army as they handed out supplies to the locals. He continue his story as images of the Coda villagers' evacuation appeared on screen.

"Afterwards, I was invited by a Canadian lieutenant to join his troops in an escort mission. Essentially, another team from the JSDF had evacuated a village called Coda after news of a large dragon attacking and destroying another village during the night. Our forces were sent to escort the refugee column to a safer region. They refused to come with us, citing that others would take them in. According to Lieutenant Huynh, it was a routine mission. As we would find out later however, it was not to be."

He briefly paused before continuing.

"The next footage will be shocking and may disturb some viewers."

A video of the Fire Dragon attacking refugees appeared. People everywhere that were watching the morning news could only stare agape. It was almost surreal to witness such a moment. They watched in horror when the creature mercilessly attacked the refugees but felt pride when they saw the Coalition troops fighting defiantly the monster and savagely mauling it. Social medias were ablaze with activity as their users reposted the feed and commented. Many wondered where the mysterious halberd that spooked the dragon had come from.

"As you can see everyone, our troops fought bravely against it and managed to drive it off."

"Ronny, can you tell us how many people died when that... thing attacked?"

"From what I can tell you, at least 100-150 out of 600-700 refugees were killed with countless other wounded. The wounded have been taken back to our base on our Arnus Hill. The Coalition has performed admirably after the attack as well. They quickly sprung into action to offer humanitarian aid to the survivors."

The footage turned to a scene where troops were milling around to help the locals. Wounded were being patched up by the medics while other personnel were clearing the debris and handing food and water to those that needed it.

"It was extremely heartwarming for us to see our fighting men and women help these people in their time of need. They even invited us to pray in our different faiths to protect the souls of the departed." proudly added the reporter as his viewers saw the simple ceremonies and the American Marines praying at freshly dug graves. The scene looked surreal as purple lights emerged from the ground where the dead had been just buried and filled the night sky with their glow. It gave a serene if sad ambiance after the chaos and destruction of the dragon attack.

"That's all I have for today folks but I'll be back soon with more news from the refugees and the town being built for them."

 **Major Jacques Parent, Officers' quarters, May 8th, 1000**

Major Parent, Kinh's superior, was sipping on a cup of coffee as he impatiently read his subordinate's report about the dragon attack. The grey haired career officer from Montreal had waited for this report to arrive.

He had to admit that Lieutenant Huynh had an excellent ability to write reports. It was extremely complete with details. Major Parent had picked up the fact that the JGSDF troops needed improvement in terms of procedures as evidenced by the burning cart incident as well as the argument between Sergeant Tremblay-Gagnon and Sergeant Kurokawa over medics carrying weapons while treating injured personnel and non-combatants.

 _'What kind of idiotic trooper doesn't keep their rifles at arms' reach?'_

He shook his head. The most interesting part was evidently the dragon attack. He almost spat his coffee when he reached a section about one of the refugees. If she could be called like that. The childlike Rory Mercury, according to what he read, was a local religious figure, some kind of oracle. However, unlike any other on Earth, she had unnatural abilities as described in the report. From being able to throw an average sized adult man like a ragdoll to throwing a massive halberd into the path of the Flame Dragon and startling it with spectacular results.

However, the Afghanistan veteran was wary of her. What kind of a local helped an invading army, no matter how well they treated the locals with such enthusiasm? What kind of superhuman religious figure was the Coalition letting stay close to them? They were many risks to take into play. Judging from the report, Rory Mercury also had a violent temper to boot. Another factor to take into account that made her unpredictable.

Her status as a local religious figure meant that she had influence, lots of it. The Falmartians worshipped her and her patron god, Emroy. The fact that he was a deity of war, death, violence and insanity was highly worrying and with Rory Mercury being his apostle, the implications were damning. With her allegiances unknown, it meant that she could possibly stir up trouble against the Coalition forces.

He had also heard rumours in the officers' mess that special forces team had spotted a being that matched her description perfectly. Not wasting any more time, the major picked up his phone and quickly.

"Tell General Maxwell that I have an priority report for him."

 **AN2: Why did I have the JSDF get into arguments with their US and Canadian allies? Simple... the US has been engaged in constant wars since 1945. They've learned how to prosecute wars and develop an experience that is constantly transferred to new generations. Canada, despite being a pacifist nation like Japan with a tiny military (70 000 personnel in all three branches and regular/reserve forces combined), has actually been engaged all over the world in combat situations since then... and the same reasoning can be applied to the Canadian military as well. They were in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014 after all and before that, they were in the Balkans in the 1990 as well as other various other places.**

 **The JSDF? Besides training exercices and very limited deployments? No true experience of war unlike the US and Canada since 1945 and no heritage from which to draw from.**


	10. Chapter 9: Heroes From Another World

**AN:** **First off, as always, thanks to F-14 Tomcat Lover and The Tundra Fox for the beta-reading of this chapter. Their help is always invaluable.**

 **Also, GATE, its characters and the real word organizations don't belong to me. They belong to their respective owners. Same with Sgt. Steven Grey Ryan, President James Kelly Grey (F-14 Tomcat), Lieutenant Jack Johnson (TheCanadianPatriot), Ronny Marinin(The Tundra Fox), the M1A1 Here We Go Again (Faust1812) and Private Wade Nilsson (MandaloreTheFreedom).** **Only my OC's belong to me**

 **Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 _Chapter 9: Heroes From Another World_

 **Arnus refugee town construction site, May 10th, 0900**

Sounds of construction could be heard. Coalition troops and engineers were working on building housing for the Arnus province refugees. Machines and material were moving around rapidly as structures began to appear on the site. A new convoy of trucks had arrived from the base. Heavily armed guards poured out from them before a more surprising sight. Captured Imperial troops.

Amongst them was Centurion Adrianos and his men. They were being led by Coalition soldiers to the location of the future refugee town. The sights around them was impressive. Great machines of metal were clearing the land with ease while convoys of the outworlders' trucks had arrived. They carried large amounts of building materials on their back as well as Coalition soldiers. The trucks stopped and the men began to unload the construction supplies from them. Very quickly, the Imperials were ordered to help them with the task. Wooden planks were moved to freshly made foundations for future houses.

For Adrianos, a seasoned veteran of the Imperial Army, it was impressive. He had never seen such a well supplied army. Food was so abundant that they didn't even have to forage in the villages and towns around Arnus. Instead, they brought in food to feed the townspeople whose crops had been destroyed by marauding bandits.

As evidence to the superior logistics, every Coalition servicemen had almost identical weapons and uniforms unlike the Imperial legionnaires that had to pay for his sword, shield and armour. It was amazing. Right now, many of the outworlders were wearing bright yellow helmets that they called safety helmets instead of their usual green ones. They were handing these to the Imperials as well and helped them adjust the headgear. The helmets were surprisingly light yet solid.

Adrianos and his men were soon led to where one of the buildings were being constructed. The familiar sound of hammers and saws could be heard but another strange noises sounded through the slowly appearing village. Loud buzzing and droning came from almost magical tools that the outworlders had brought with them such as round saws that cut through wood with ease and little effort. Many of these tools had black lines that ran back to small metal wagons that roared loudly.

The Imperial centurion witnessed his men being taught how to use some of these tools. One of them was being guided in the use of what was called a power drill by one of the otherworlders. The man was amazed as a Japanese soldier was teaching him how to use the tool and how easily it pierced the wood plank that he was working on. A group of children were also looking on in curiosity. There were mesmerized at how quickly these men worked. It was amazing to see how the otherworld had such power even in such mundane things. To build sturdy houses with such ease was incredible and many of the Saderans wondered just what kind of buildings stood on the other side of the gate.

 **4th Battalion/Royal 22e Régiment's enlisted quarters courtyard, 1000**

A truck had just arrived from Japan. The Van Doos who were on break were excitedly amassing around as they waited for the post truck to stop.

"Oy, gang! Mail's here!" shouted the driver from his window. He was met with loud enthusiastic cheering as his fellow crewman began unloading the bags of mail. Some of the troops had gotten on the back of the truck to help.

After all, it was a small taste of their faraway homes. The mail was distributed as quickly as possible with everyone opening theirs as they got them. Finally, there was a couple of letters destined to the whole battalion.

"Hey check it out guys!" yelled Joël, "We got fan mail!"

"Read it man!" shouted another Van Doo, "I heard the Americans had some good one from their people."

Joël cleared his throat as he opened the first letter.

"This one from Marc-Antoine Richard of Terrebonne!" chuckled the private. "Dear soldiers of the Royal 22e Régiment, you guys are incredible for fighting that big dragon like real knights! I hope you kill it soon so that it doesn't hurt more people. I want to be just like you guys when I grow up and be a hero."

"Aww, that's kind of cute." called another private.

"I want that everyone of you make it home safely," read Joël. The troops were touched by the kind words as smiles appeared on their faces. He opened another envelope and burst out laughing. He then held up a rather glorious calendar from one of Montreal's many strip clubs.

"Aww yeah! That's going in the main barracks hall!" yelled Julien as he moved to grab the calendar.

"Shit man, it's fucking autographed!" remarked Joël. "To our boys far from home! XXX from Paré's girls."

Cheers and wolf whistles rang out as they commented on the fine pictures inside the calendar. The female troops were rolling their eyes at their male counterparts' antics.

"Lemme open the next one," demanded Julien, "Come on."

"Sure have fun man... next thing you'll be opening a calendar from Mado's or the 281."

Mado was the (in)famous drag queen bar in Montreal. Many of them had been there for laughs while the 281 was the male stripper bar nearby that many of their girlfriends had been to as a rite of passage into adulthood.

"Va chier man!" (Go fuck yourself) scolded Julien. He opened another package and promptly facepalmed as he saw its content. "Oh wow. Some dude sent us a Polandball comic."

He held it up for the rest of those that couldn't see. The drawing showed a trio of balls with crudely drawn helmets depicting the US, Canada and Japan standing next to a dead dragon.

"Well, that kid gets points for trying," chucked Alex. Other fans of Polandball snickered at the pictures. The other enlisted weren't so impressed at the badly drawn comic. The fan mail reading would continue on for a short while.

From his personal quarters, Kinh watched the happy scene play out before him. The past week had seen his team being taken off recon missions for some much needed and welcomed rest. It felt good to be dressed in combat pants and t-shirt.

 _'Thank god.'_

He had taken the time off this morning to write in his journal about his latest missions and the whole dragon scene.

"How do I finish this?" muttered the man as he wrote down his latest entry. A brief pause before inspiration struck him.

 _May 10th 20XX_

 _Despite all that was happened recently, I'd never thought I'd say this but it feels good to be on top of Arnus again. It feels good to get a few days of rest after the recon missions and excitement of fighting a gigantic dragon._

He briefly paused.

' _Excitement... if nearly getting barbecued by an oversized fire breathing purse was exciting'_ shrugged Kinh before writing again.

 _That being said, I cannot wait for the Wi-Fi to be set up. It'll feel good to hear from Marie over Skype._

He took a quick look at his phone's wallpaper. He took the time to enjoy the sight of his wife in an elegant black dress, a rather rare sight since she always hated wearing dresses. He gazed at her rich dark brown eyes that always carried an intense but soft, kind gaze.

 _'Crisse, I can't wait for this shooting practice to be over.'_

More ideas for his writing came.

 _We cannot call this a war. The enemy is utterly outmatched by everything we have. It is little more than live fire practice. I may not have fought in any battle on Earth against the Taliban, ISIS or anyone that could fight back but I know very well that this is not a war. It is merely pouring ammunition at waves of soldiers that know no better until they flee or are all dead. The Marines and Canadian Forces veterans that fought in Afghanistan almost consider this a vacation compared to what they had to live in that sand pit._

He briefly paused in his entry.

 _The same cannot be said for our Japanese counterparts. For them, this is the closest to a war they have ever fought since 1945 and it shows. For example, some of their medics have been getting into arguments with ours and the Marines' Corpsmen over carrying their weapons while tending to the injured. Apparently, it is against their training protocols to have their guns while treating wounded. They also happen to be stuck with substandard weapons such as that awful Type-64 which really doesn't help._

 _Luckily, the Saderans don't have any guns and can't fight back._

 _However, the Japanese are willing to learn from us. Thank god ostie!_

Kinh suddenly heard a knock on his door.

"Yes come in!" called out the Lieutenant as he turned his head to see who had come to his door.

The door opened and revealed Major Parent. Kinh promptly saluted his superior.

"Hello sir!"

"Good day Lieutenant!" answered the Major, "We'd like to speak to you about your encounter the other day."

"With the dragon sir?"

"Amongst other things. Put on your shirt and we'll go to my office."

"Yes sir!"

Questions raced through the Vietnamese-Canadian lieutenant's mind as he threw on his shirt and beret.

' _Why the hell does the major want to speak to me? Didn't he see Ronny and Eric's footage yet. Did I fuck something up?'_

He finished buttoning up and adjusted his beret and went out to meet his superior. Upon meeting the older man, they began to walk down the grey-white hallways and stairs of the officers' quarters. The two moved pass others who were enjoying some downtime as well. Some were reading, others were sleeping in and some were writing back home.

' _Just my luck'_ mentally groaned Kinh. He had to be the one that fought that dragon and had to be the one that to be summoned.

After a few minutes of walking through various areas of the base were other troops and officers were milling to their daily tasks under a bright, cloudless sky. They occasionally got saluted by the enlisted that crossed their path.

A few moments later, they entered the main office building. The sound of pens scratching on paper could be heard as various administrative personnel and officers worked on their files. They finally arrived at Major Parent's office.

Kinh quickly noted how simply furnished the room was. A plain desk and chairs with various filing cabinets in the back and open files lay on the desk behind the major's nameplate. The blinds had been pulled down and the major motioned for Kinh to close the door behind him.

"I'll be brief Lieutenant Huynh." spoke the major. There was a very serious tone in the older man's voice.

"Very well. What's happening sir?" wondered the younger man, "Is this about that giant dragon?" He had noticed that his superior was holding the report that he had written about a previous engagement.

"Yes and no. I'm more interested about that refugee that you picked up with the Coda villagers."

"Which one?"

"I believe you've met a Rory Mercury amongst the Coda refugees," stated Major Parent.

"Indeed sir."

"We've read from your report from the flame dragon skirmish about her... exploits," continued his superior, "It matches what the Special Forces told us about her. What can you tell about her?"

"Well sir, she has been claiming to be some kind of apostle of death and war or something like that," answered Kinh, "Personally, I didn't believe it at first until that battle with the dragon."

"Yes, about that Lieutenant, I'd like to know how she engaged that dragon."

"To be frank sir, I'm afraid I can't tell much that hasn't been said in my report. We were pouring fire on that monster's eyes when Lieutenant Itami's team deployed their Panzerfaust 3 against in," described the Vietnamese-Canadian, "I'm not sure what happened exactly but I heard over comms that the rocket was fired prematurely. Next thing we know, there's a purple halberd flying through the air and landing near the flame dragon in a flash of lighting. It got spooked and it got right in the path of the rocket with the results we know."

"I see."

Kinh then finished his explanation.

"After the engagement was over, I noticed that she was on top of Lieutenant Itami's jeep so I presumed that she must have somehow gotten there."

"Very well Lieutenant Huynh, you've answered my question."

"Sir, has she been causing any trouble?" wondered the junior officer, "Has she been hostile to any of us."

"Not at all," replied warily Major Parent, "She's been rather cooperative except about her age. Have you noticed anything unusual whenever Miss Mercury is around the locals?"

Kinh's mind began analyzing what he had witnessed during the encounters he had with Rory, trying to piece anything unusual before answering again.

"Well, she holds a lot of respect from the Falmartians. When we met her the first time, the people would run up to her and pray to her. I've never seen any religious authority hold as much influence in my personal life," explained the lieutenant, "She seems to genuinely care about her worshippers since according to the refugees, she asked if we forced them out of their homes. Frankly sir, if she's really on our side, she could be a very useful asset for us as her support would help legitimate our presence amongst the people here."

"Well, you see," replied Major Parent, "That's exactly what we're wondering about her intentions. It isn't the first time that our military has to deal with winning the hearts and minds of a local population. A person like that is a wildcard. Either, they truly care and wish the best to come from cooperation or either they're trying to get on our good side to lure us into a sense of fake security before turning on us."

"I understand sir. I've read about this before."

Still holding the reports, Major Parent continued his questioning.

"I've also got more questions for you concerning another refugee that you've picked up. One Lelei La Lalena."

"The fifteen year old blue haired girl?"

"Exactly, the one that claims to be an mage disciple."

"Personally sir, even if we're in a world filled with fantasy clichés, I won't believe it until I'll see it. She hasn't shown any of her magic so far."

"My main concern, along with the rest of the higher ranks, is again the unknown factor that magic brings into this campaign. We saw weaponised magic being used during the first battles on this side and there are, from what we understand, rogue battlemages helping the deserters and bandits cause trouble for the natives."

"I understand your concerns sir," replied Kinh, "The last thing we would want is to super humans and wizards running around and causing trouble in our base and the refugee town. Do you need anything else sir?"

"That will be all for now. Thank you Lieutenant Huynh, you've answered all the questions I've had for the moment. You're dismissed for today."

"Yes sir!"

The young man stood up to take his leave from his superior's office.

"One last thing Mr. Huynh."

"Yes Major?"

"If you're going to the refugee village, keep an eye out for anything unusual about either Rory Mercury or Lelei La Lalena or anything else of the like and report it to me. Understood?"

"Yes sir, I'll keep you informed if anything happens."

"Thank you lieutenant."

 **Throne room, Perragon, Kingdom of Elbe, May 15th, 1300**

Light filtered through the great windows of the royal palace. Sitting upon the throne was acting regent and heir to the throne, Prince Deorwine.

It had been months since he had heard from his father, King Duran and his army who had acted upon their oaths of vassalage to Emperor Molt. They had thus marched against an invading army that had appeared upon Arnus Hill and threatened Falmart. Since then, all that was heard from Arnus was nothing short of catastrophic.

Terrified survivors of the royal army had returned. With them had come horrifying tales of unimaginable magic that brought catastrophe upon the Allied Kingdoms. Magic of unbelievable might and unyielding metal monsters had destroyed the armies sent there.

The losses inflicted upon the Elbian army had been a grave source of consternation and worry for the young prince. What was left of the royal forces was now stretched thin to defend the Kingdom. For Deorwine and his younger brothers, that meant they and the remaining generals had to lead their men in battles against murderous bandits that resurged with the power vacuum and preyed on farming villages and trade routes.

Thus right now, the heir to the crown of Elbe sat on his throne, burdened with the weight of ruling a kingdom stuck in dire times. As Prince Deorwine wondered what to do next, his musings were interrupted by the arrival of one of his guards.

"Your Highness! I bring news for you."

The prince stood up, worry etched across his brow.

"Speak quickly. What news do you have?" demanded the heir.

"Your Highness, more of our soldiers have returned from Arnus Hill."

There was a strange glint in the guard's eyes. A slimmer of hope?

"How is this possible? It has been nearly two months since my father marched on Arnus."

"They claim to have met with the invaders who have appeared from a Gate that leads to another world. They were captured but released by these outworlders who also healed those injured in battle against them."

"How is this possible?" exclaimed Prince Deorwine.

"I do not know your Highness but they have given this letter saying it is from your father."

The prince opened his mouth. His father was alive? It was almost too good to be true. Yet... if this letter was from his father, that had meant that the enemy had taken him and held him for ransom. The return of the soldiers was most likely a way of sweetening a deal.

Deorwine noted the strange white parchment on which the letter was written and how the envelope in which it was delivered was made of the same material. However, his eyes widened upon reading his father's message.

The messenger noted how the expression of his regent changed from a joyous mood to disgust and anger.

"Your Highness?"

"My father is alive but healing from terrible injuries," sighed the prince, "The battle went catastrophically as I already knew."

His face then hardened as he continued his explanation.

"He was fighting against the wrong enemy. Our enemy is not on Arnus Hill but lives in the Imperial Palace of Saderna", growled Deorwine.

The messenger looked at him in surprise.

"It appears that our esteemed "liege" lied to my father and sent him to fight after the Imperial armies were destroyed. The Empire attacked a world that lay beyond a Gate that appeared on Arnus Hill without provocation. According to Father, they fought an alliance with weapons with such power that they could defy gods and were humbled in battle. That alliance assembled its forces and crossed over to bring Molt and his legions to justice for his transgressions against their lands."

"But what of us?"

"Father has broken off our ties to the Saderan Empire and negotiated our neutrality with the invaders. It appears that they are willing to offer us protection should Molt attack us and that they would like to broker further agreements with us."

"Good news than your Highness?"

"Yes," sighed the prince.

 **FOB Arnus Library, May 16th, 1000**

At one of the tables sat a rather aged man with prosthetics. The one-eyed King Duran was reading up about the outworlders.

 _'Never would I have thought to seeing such plentiful books,'_ mused the Elbian royal. Around him were Coalition personnel that were enjoying downtime. It still surprised the king to know that not only did that his former enemies' leaders and officers were literate but their underlings as well.

He had made a point to read up about the Coalition nations' history lately as to understand them.

It was something that shook him when he read up about the birth of America. A colony that rebelled against a king? It wasn't unheard of. What was unheard of was the fact that the United States of America and its general that led its armies to victory, George Washington had chosen not to be a king but instead something called a "president."

It was a type of leader that was chosen by the people and could not serve more than twice in that capacity. There was also something called "checks and balances" that limited the president's powers.

' _How can a ruler lead with such limitations?!'_

It made no sense that a leader could so much in his way yet still be efficient. It left him with more questions that needed answers.

A feeling of dread filled him. Would the outworlders try and depose him and his sons? One of the Coalition nations had already overthrown their king to be led by commoners. Duran had a feeling that kings could fall easily on Earth and violently at that. Perhaps discussing with the Coalition commanders would clear his mind and worries. These men had been lenient enough but nothing told him that they would continue in their leniency.

 **Command tent, 3rd and 5th Legion Camp, May 20th, 1700**

Princess Pina was looking over the latest reports that had arrived with Hamilton and her other aides. The past weeks had been well spent in rebuilding her forces as well as fighting bandits.

Many of these reports were filled about stories of the demons that had assaulted the Imperial armies so many months ago. The more she read, the more the tales didn't make sense.

She had expected the demons to assault the villages inside Arnus province and in the surrounding areas to slake some unholy divinity's appetite. Instead, every now and then, villagers would see in the distance vague silhouettes darting through the woods. Shortly afterwards, bandit camps could be found filled with the corpses of their nefarious denizens. Other times, strange metal birds could be seen in the skies before great fireballs would engulf parts of forests and streaks of lightening streaked from the beaks of the creatures. Villagers whose curiosity got the better of them would go to these sites to find the ground scorched and marked by great round holes. Shattered bodies would litter the ground, torn apart by extreme violence.

However, these reports slowly revealed a pattern that Pina picked up. These night creatures were only the vanguard that led the way for the invaders from Arnus. Soon after they passed, the villages would be taken over by the enemy. Few reports about what happened came but some stated that the villagers were sometimes taken away further towards Arnus Hill.

It greatly worried her that no one truly knew what fully happened within the limits of Arnus province. There was already many sources of worry for the Empire. This new enemy could move with great speed on land and in the skies. She had heard of horseless wagons filled with soldiers that moved unyieldingly on the roads and of flying chariots that flew through the skies with great speed. There was also tales of steel elephants with snouts that threw fire and shrugged off anything the legions threw at them with ease.

She looked over at more reports. These were more encouraging. More people were being evacuated from Arnus province and the roads were being cleared of bandits. Slowly but steadily.

Pina, on Gray's suggestion, had also offered a reward for anyone that could bring her information about the outworlders. Every border town and village had been informed in the past few months by dispatched messengers. So far, she had little success.

' _Is this even worth the time?'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by her old mentor's entrance. He was not alone however. Accompanying him was a small family of four. They were simply dressed with roughly clothes. She looked at Gray in curiosity.

"Your Highness, these people have come to speak to you," said the veteran knight, "They have information about the outworlders."

The princess's eyes widened at this.

"Please, tell everything you know," pleaded the princess, "I will hold my word about the promised reward."

The first to speak was the mother. A short, mousy haired woman, it was apparent in her that she had witness something truly amazing.

"It happened almost two weeks ago. A group of soldiers hailing from a land named Japan arrived at Coda Village, riding upon horseless metal carriages that moved very swiftly. They said their country had been attacked by the Saderan Empire that marched across a Gate to their world and that they were there to bring it to justice for what the Empire to their people and land."

Pina hadn't been surprised with this information. She already knew that her father had ordered 60 000 troops to invade the world beyond the Gate and that it had been nothing short of a massacre. After that, only calamity after calamity had befallen upon the Imperial Army in its battles against the outworlders.

"I know of this already!" exclaimed impatiently the princess, "What else can you tell me!?"

Gray glared at her temper tantrum while the mother looked on nervously. Pina calmed herself down and let out a breath before apologizing to the woman.

"My apologies, the current situation is rather... demanding," explained the embarrassed royal, "Have they forced to give them your crops?"

The woman shook her head.

"No, none of that. They at first asked if we had been attacked by any bandits recently. They then began ask us questions about slave caravans and if there had been any lately that went through our village."

Pina raised an eyebrow in curiosity at this.

"Slave caravans?"

"Yes, it seems that they were very anxious to have any information about them. As Coda is rather small and remote, it is very uncommon for us to see such sights," explained the woman, "They shared a quick meal with us before departing. The next day, however, the soldiers were returned and were very worried. Their leader, Loo-te-nant Itami, brought a small glass frame on which was a painting of a Flame Dragon burning down a village."

"Flame dragon!?" gasped Pina. The legendary creature was well known through Falmart as a being of immense, almost godlike power. If it attacked a village, it was to feed its appetite and once it tasted human, beastman or elf flesh, it would rampage across the land to slake its appetite until there was no food left to savour and it would hibernate.

At least according to the legends. Such a monster had never been seen before for centuries in Falmart. For Pina, it to appear right now was an ill omen for the Saderan Empire. Her husband then eagerly spoke about what he saw.

"They offered us shelter at their fortress at Arnus but we refused. Instead, we chose to flee towards the Formal county and they aided us by offering us protection as we abandoned our homes. They refused any coin we had to give them."

This was a surprising twist to the whole tale. What kind of army were they? They could have very easily forced the villagers into slavery or to give all their gold but chose to help them flee from Coda.

"We fled but got stuck a few times because of rainstorms. The soldiers of Japan helped us and used their magic to call more men to help us. These new soldiers were different and were from different nations."

"Oh? Tell me about then!"

The woman was the one that chose to answer.

"Yes your Highness! These new soldiers said they came from the United States Mah-reen Corps and the Royal Van Doos-im Re-gee-ment of Canada. They arrived in their own horseless green metal wagons. Some had up to 8 black wheels on their side and strange heads with long snouts and one eye that turned around freely."

The woman was mimicking what she had seen placing one hand atop the other and turning while the royal looked fascinated by the spectacle.

"These new soldiers helped us get unstuck and we moved again. It was after a moment that the Flame Dragon came."

The woman shuddered, the image of the attack still fresh in her mind. Tears were in her eyes as she remembered the death of her friends.

"It was absolutely terrifying for us and many died when it came. I still have nightmares about it."

"Melissa, let me speak then," suggested kindly the husband. He rubbed his weeping wife's back tenderly.

"Your highness, that monster killed many of the people that I have lived with," sadly sighed the peasant.

Pina gave them a compassionate look from behind her table.

"I am terribly sorry for your loss on that day and join you in your grief." declared the princess. A thought ran through her mind.

' _First the demons, then the outworlders and then this Flame Dragon. Have the gods forsaken the Empire?'_

It froze her blood momentarily. By now, the farmer had finished comforting his wife.

"The Men in Green however, drove their wagons towards the Flame Dragon. They attacked using their thunder staffs that they carried and mounted on their chariots. This magic was not enough for them to harm the dragon. The bigger wagons attacked it with their snouts. The magic from these would tear apart bits and bits of its hide by throwing fireballs at it. Every time they used their powers, we could hear "bang" "bang" coming from their thunderstaffs and snouts."

"How did they drive it off?!" exclaimed Pina. By now, she was standing over the table in excitement. This information was the most detailed she had gotten from about the invaders.

"They used these... weapons, if I can call them like that," explained the man, "fashioned not unlike a man's manhood."

Pina and the farmwoman briefly blushed at this description.

"It fired a magic fire arrow that roared defiantly against the dragon as it flew towards it. They used three of these. The first was engulfed in flame and made a great fireball before it could hit the dragon. The other two tore part of its great maw off as well as its left arm."

This was something never before heard by the Third Princess. No one had ever been able to maim so thoroughly a mythical fire dragon save for some apostles that had long ascended into godhood.

The refugees finished their tale, describing the kindness and generosity offered to them after the dragon attack by the foreign troops. Healing and food as well as prayers to the other world's God for protection those who died that day. The survivors finished their tale with the arrival of more horseless wagons. These however were green with a metal cabin with windows in the front while the back of these resembled the carriages and wagons used by the refugees.

With their tale finished, Pina ordered Hamilton to hand a purse of gold coins to the family before sending them off. In the entrance, Gray's face was etched in deep concentration as he processed the information given by these people. The first person to break the silence was Hamilton.

"Your Highness, do you believe them? Their story simply sounds too good to be true or at least embellished."

Gray broke out of his musings to answer the young page and shook his head.

"No, Hamilton, these people were telling the truth. I have met many liars and thieves and these refugees were not lying," stated the veteran knight, "However, their story leaves me with more questions about the invaders then I thought."

"From what they told us, we must be facing an alliance of some kind," deduced Pina, "With at least three nations in it."

"Which one leads the alliance?" wondered Hamilton. Gray's memory provided them with an answer.

"If I remember my reports from the assault across the Gate, they attacked a nation named either Japan or Nihon. Perhaps, they have summoned two of their vassals to aid them in battle against us. That could be why they had soldiers from something called the United States Mah-reens Corps and the Ca-na-dian Royal Van Doos-im Regiment."

Pina's mind raced through the implications of this information.

"Our Empire is facing three different nations, including at least one with a king at its head," she stated, "These three nations have managed to shatter our armies and sever our ties with our vassals in the span of a few months without taking any losses in battle."

"It is extraordinarily worrying your Highness," calmly said Gray, "They have also been taking over many of the villages and towns near Arnus province and from what these people said, many of the people living there have been taken to their fortress for shelter and care."

Pina's face took a serious look at this information. She shook her head in disbelief.

"I do not believe that. It could be a very simple way of tricking them into slavery. It is easy after all to offer a simple minded peasant anything he wants to lure him somewhere and trap him there before selling him off."

"You mark a good point your highness," answered Gray, "Still, we must remain alert for any more news and rumours about these outworlders." He briefly paused to compose his thoughts, "I have never seen such an enemy. Magic beyond our understanding and strange codes of honour."

"It leaves much to worry Gray." answered Pina.

"Indeed your Highness, but I have feeling that things will change because of them," stated the veteran, "My instinct tells me so."

Another lithe figure entered the tent. It was Captain Ariha. He bowed to the royal.

"Your Highness."

"Rise Captain Ariha," replied Pina, "What news do you bring?"

"The swords that you've requested from my people have arrived," reported the elf, "I hope that you will find them suiting for your knights."

There was respect in his voice as he spoke to her. He pulled out a sword from under his cloak. Pina noticed the elegant design used for the weapon. The curved blade shone brightly and had an almost mirror like finish while the hilt was made of a rich dark wood. A simple guard completed the design.

He handed the sword to her as well as a simple but well crafted scabbard. As she drew her sword, Pina noted how light it was compared to her old long sword made by the Imperial armourers specifically for her.

"Thank you Captain," declared the proud princess, "Your people are well gifted with artisans."

"On behalf of my tribe, I thank you."

She gave the blade a few swings to get a feel of the elegant weapon. Truly a magnificent weapon. She looked at the elf and at Gray.

"You may leave now Captain Ariha but I will give you more for these weapons. Good work is to be properly rewarded," declared the Princess.

The elf gracefully walked out of the tent, leaving a rather pensive Pina, Gray and Hamilton.

"Your Highness," spoke Gray, "I must admit that you never cease to amaze me."

"Gray?"

"There are very few in your station that would reward a non-Human, much less use their weapons," answered the veteran, "I must admit that I had my reticence to trust him and his weaponsmiths but the craftsmanship is good."

"Well, you always encouraged me and my knights to reward good honest work," replied Pina, "and to always keep an eye for better weapons for oneself."

Her mentor smiled at her declaration.

"I've taught you well, your Highness."

"Thank you Gray but now is not the time for pleasantries," stated Pina, "We must get back to our work."

The veteran bowed before taking his leave. The princess sighed. Victories against the bandits were plenty yet not enough as many still plagued the region. It was a herculean effort already but with the flame dragon flying around, Pina could only imagine the tide of terror that would soon unfurl upon the Saderan Empire.

For all how she wanted to despair, Pina knew that she couldn't. Her people counted on her and she couldn't fail them. Yet, she could feel the weight of the world on her shoulders.

 _'How did it come to this?'_

 **Arnus Refugee Town, 1900**

A trio of off-duty enlisted men were walking the slowly forming town. Large tents had been installed in order to provide temporary lodgings from the refugees while houses were being built. Children of various species were playing in the streets that were slowly being formed. The contact that they had made at the improvised schools set up by the Coalition slowly made them come closer together.

"Bruh, did I just see a fox kid run next to us?" asked an incredulous Dick. The Marine still hadn't gotten used to seeing non-humans.

"Yup, this place feels like something about of a Japanese manga." answered Julien, "Damn, think I get to nab a bunny woman or something like that?"

Dick laughed at this before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"Sure... if her beaver doesn't dry out when she sees that ugly ass beaver on your beret."

"Fucking dumbass niggah," shot back Julien as he lit his own cigarette as well, "At least I'm not being mistaken for a gayass dark elf by the woman around here."

"Youch, I totally feel butthurt about that," sarcastically shot back Dick before looking over at the third one in their group, "Say Kurata, you got a girl back on Earth?"

"Nah, never had any luck with the girls back in Japan," answered Kurata. His voice then got more excited while a gleam appeared in his eye, "But since I'm here, I've been keeping an lookout for a cute catgirl. Think I'll get lucky?!"

"Fucking furry," chuckled the Marine, "I think you've been watching too much weird ass hentai."

A red-faced Kurata started blubbering about not watching and enjoying hentai. Julien and Dick laughed.

"Bruh, you're bullshitting me on the whole line here," teased Julien.

Suddenly, a cry came from nearby. The three men quickly ran towards its source, passing by curious onlookers. They turned the corner of a large tent only to see a black haired Canadian soldier tackling one of the refugees. The man was fully geared up as he immobilized the local.

"Christ! What the fuck is going on here?" swore Dick. Other people were coming up as well. One of them was a crying humanoid young refugee. What struck the three men was that she had rabbit ears and tail.

"Thank you very much sir!" cried tearfully the young brown haired woman. By now the Canadian trooper had gotten the shady man tied up. He handed to the Vera a small necklace while the refugees looked on in awe. The thief was squirming and trying to get out of his restrains but to no avail. Other soldiers had arrived and were making sure he wasn't getting.

"You all right there man?" asked Julien.

"Yeah, I'm good," answered the man between breaths, "This asshole thought it'd be funny to steal this gal's jewelry."

Upon closer look, Julien recognized the man's insignia. He was a private from the Royal Canadian Regiment's 3rd Battalion. An airborne private. Soon another man bearing the same insignia arrived as well.

"What's your name?" asked Kurata.

"Wade Nilsson."

"Good job there bro," complimented Dick, "Let's see what this idiot has to say before the MPs get here."

The dark skinned Marine stood the prisoner up. By now, he was protesting.

"UNHAND ME FILTHY HALFBREED!" spat out the man.

"What the fuck does this niggah think he is?" laughed Dick. The criminal's eyes darted over to Julien and Kurata. The man kept trying to squirm out of the Marine's grasp but he was met with a elbow in the stomach.

"Hey! If you let me go, maybe I can give you a little something for your troubles," bargained the man between breaths.

The gathered Coalition troops looked at him in disgust.

"Who the fuck do you think you are asshole!?" shouted back Wade.

"What kind of men are you? Helping these filthy animals?"

Julien saw a pair of American MP's arriving to take the man to the brig. He looked back at the petty criminal. The other refugees were whispering to each other as they watched the scene play out before them. They were curious as to why these outworlders would so easily help a beastperson. Some voiced their disapproval subtly but glares from the Coalition troops shut them down.

"Ben mon tabarnak...! Better men than you crisse!" swore the private before the MP took the protesting man away.

The crowd that had gathered was now getting back to its business. The airborne troopers were looking for the girl that they had helped.

"Yo man! Mind if we come with you guys and find that bunny girl?" proposed Julien as he moved towards them. A nod from the blond haired private gave him his answer. After a few moments of looking around, the five men found the young woman near one of the refugee tents. She looked at them with fear.

"Th-thank you for helping me," stammered the woman, "I'm afraid I don't much to give for a reward."

Frankly, she was worried that these soldiers would ask her body. She shuddered at the thought. She noticed that the men were looking at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" nervously asked one of them. He was short with black and a youthful face.

"Y-yes thank you."

The first to introduce himself was the African-American Marine.

"What's your name? I'm Dick Johnson and these two are Julien Leclaire and Takeo Kurata." He pointed to the other two men he knew. The airborne soldiers introduced themselves as well.

"I'm Wade Nilsson and this is Daniel Lewis."

She looked at them curiously.

"My name is Elinah."

"Pleased to meet you," replied Julien, "What exactly happened ma'am?"

"I was minding my business when that man grabbed my necklace and ran off with it."

She looked at Wade.

"Thank you again for stopping that man."

"No problems, it's part of the job," smiled the private, "That necklace looks important to you."

The soldiers noticed that the necklace was very simple. A golden chain with a single ruby red stone.

"Yes very much so," answered the Vera woman, "The stone was taken from the mountains of my homeland, the Veran Kingdom. My mother gave it to me... before the War of Sorrows."

"War of Sorrows?" asked curiously Kurata.

"Yes, when Imperial Crown Prince Zorzal led the Saderan Legions against our people. He destroyed our kingdom when our queen betrayed us and sold herself to him."

The troops looked at each other. This was information that needed to reach command.

"Do tell us more miss," asked Julien, "We'd like to know more about the War of Sorrows."

"It happened three years ago," started the woman. "The Empire wanted more slaves and lands for itself. It was terrible as our best warriors fought and died against the Imperial Legions. The battles were bloody and we held at first but they overpowered us. There were so many of them that even our people's skill in battle wasn't enough."

She paused. Her eyes took on a sorrowful look as she looked away in the distance.

"We were forced to flee our homes with whatever we had. My mother gave this before she died in battle against the Empire."

"Oh," was the only thing that the gathered soldiers could say. Out of respect, they didn't push for any more information. The first to speak up was Lewis.

"Thank you for telling us your story Elinah," said the airborne trooper, "We'll make sure our superiors know of this. If we're very lucky, maybe they'll do something about this."

"You're welcome," answered the woman, "What will be happen to me now? I can't possibly live in this town for free."

"Well, you'll stay here," reassured Dick, "We're working on building up a town so there's gonna be a job for you."

The woman's ears perked up upon hearing this. Maybe she had finally gotten lucky after three years of flight. The soldiers and Marine then bid her farewell and promised that they would check in on her as often as possible before they left to their duties.

 **Office of the Prime Minister, Langevin Block, Ottawa, May 22nd, 1300**

"Hello President Grey, I believe you've just heard the news from Falmart?"

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was currently in discussions with his American counterpart about the latest developments. On his desk was various reports about the dragon attack and the War of Sorrows.

"Yes, if you mean the one about the Saderan Empire invading the Kingdom of Mirador and enslaving the native population," sighed President Grey, "It feels like reliving past history. Also, do call me James, Justin, we're friends."

"Indeed, what have our nations stepped into?" wondered the Canadian leader.

"A new world," chuckled the older man, "It seems that public opinion down here wants me to send more troops across."

"The sentiment is shared by our people up here as well."

In the months following the Gate crossing, enlistment rates shot up in the Coalition nations with more recruits flocking to the armed forces. The dramatic images brought back from Falmart by the news crews had been a great motivational factor.

"Yes, well it doesn't please the Chinese or the Russians at all," noted Trudeau, "They've been getting antsy at the United Nations."

"They fear that we'll try something funny and of course, don't appreciate us potentially getting our hands on additional resources that they can't get access to."

Trudeau placed his hand on his forehead in annoyance.

"Yes well James, the Russians are still trying to restart the Cold War while the Chinese are trying to rebuild their domination over Asia. It seems that they will never learn."

"It seems that giving the Chinese better trade deals proposals didn't affect their posture in Asia. Still trying to bully their neighbours but it seems we are getting off topic," remarked President Grey, "There's that matter with the Veran Kingdom and the Saderan Empire that we were talking."

"My apologies,"

"Accepted," smiled the American President.

"Well according to what we know, their queen sold herself and the kingdom to the Imperial Crown Prince," reported Trudeau, "The Vera people do not hold her in high esteem at all for this."

"Which leads us to the problem of what to do with that land once the Empire is defeated. We can give them back the land but the difficulty would be setting up a government."

"The last time we need is the world accusing us of colonialism and imperialism in Falmart so we have to be careful with how this is handled. For the time being however, it'll take a while before we get to that point. There are more pressing concerns."

"Did you also get the message for the Japanese Diet?" asked President Grey, "They want to have some of our officers to be there."

"Yes, the ones that were on station when the Flame Dragon attacked. Prime Minister Motoi is anxious about this whole situation seeing as how his opponents are trying to score points against him in upcoming elections and forcing the withdrawal of our forces. There isn't much we can do for the time being."

"Perhaps a joint visit to Japan to oversee the summons?" proposed the Leader of the Free World, "NATO and the UN are already sending delegates to oversee this."

A brief pause from Trudeau. His mind was calculating how he could use this for public relations.

"It would be very good for show," answered Trudeau, "Will they invite any representatives from Falmart over?"

"I've know that the Japanese are currently looking for people amongst the refugees to volunteer though the details aren't quite clear yet."

"Very well, do you have anything else to add?"

"I think that could be all for today Justin," replied the American head of state, "As always, it's a pleasure talking with you.

"The feeling is mutual James."

 **3rd and 5th Legion Camp, May 28th, 0800**

Princess Pina, Hamilton and a small entourage of riders were heading out. They were heading for Italica where one of the cohorts of the 3rd Legion was being rebuild under the supervision of Norma Co Igloo.

Italica was also where many refugees transited out of Arnus province. As such, having a cohort stationed there was vital for their security. It stood upon the crossroads of the Appia and Dessria highway, key roads into the Saderan Empire, making it a vital strategic point for any army.

Under a bright sun, the riders rode their proud steeds towards Italica, not knowing what they were getting into.

 **Arnus Refugee Town, May 30th, 1200**

Lelei and the other refugees were enjoying lunch made by the Coalition soldiers sitting at a table near a courtyard. It was a meal that the otherworlders had called a hamburger. The principle was rather simple with two slices of round bread with meat, various vegetables and sauces between the two loaves. As a side dish, there were slices of a fried food called the potato.

The outerworlders had brought foodstuff from their world for the refugees to eat while the town was being built and the fields were being built. It was plentiful and they ate very well. Many of these were familiar such as chicken or similar such as beef, which resembled maguna meat. Others were completely foreign such as the tomato, the potato and corn.

Many of the refugees that were farmers before being displaced begged to be able to get the seeds to grow these wondrous, exotic crops that they had never seen before. They hoped that they could sell these at the trade town of Italica. They had so far had not received any answers from the soldiers except that it was up to their leaders on the other side of the Gate to decide.

As for the other refugees who weren't farmers, such as woodcutters, inn keepers and artisans, they were slowly beginning to work again in the town. Some, such as the builders, were taught how to use the other world's tools. It was impressive how fast it made building good homes for their families and the townspeople.

The families were being well treated as well. Healthcare was being offered free of charge to everyone that needed it and they were being taught to read and write in Saderan by the soldiers and reporters that went around the refugee town during their off time. Some of those who learned faster began to learn the languages spoken by the Coalition troops.

Many of them were fascinated at the different dialects used. The refugees found out that the soldiers could either speak English, French or Japanese. Some even spoke more than one of these. It was mindboggling especially that French and English resembled Saderan. Lelei had picked up the languages of the Americans and some of the Canadians. It was intriguing that a nation had multiple official languages for its people.

She looked over at her new found elven friend sitting beside her, Tuka Luna Marceau. She looked worried. More than usual. The poor elf had remained rather solitary since she had been saved from her village a few weeks ago. She did warm up to Lelei and Rory though it was fleeting.

"Do you think we'll have to-to sell ourselves to the soldiers?" whispered Tuka. She was bright red.

"I mean I don't have any skills that could be of any use here."

"Don't worry," answered the emotionless Lelei, "I have a solution for us."

"Oh?"

"I learned from some of the soldiers the other day that they left the corpses of the winged dragons in a nearby field."

"With the scales still on?" asked incredulously Tuka, "Don't they know that the scales are valuable?"

'No, it appears that the Coalition soldiers don't care about them very much. I'll ask either Itami, Foley or Huynh if they can help us collect them sell them."

They were interrupted by the sound of men cheering from nearby. The girls and the other refugees got up and to see what was happening. As they arrived, they could see that the Coalition head set up a strange courtyard. Around it was a fence of metal wires and poles while the ground had lines drawn over it. What stood out the most were two poles with a panel and a hoop with net a in it. A tall Japanese soldier was running around with a brown ball with black stripes and making it bounce on the ground. Others tried to help him while some tried to get the ball from him.

The refugees also saw a grizzled, gray haired, one-eyed man watching the scene in curiosity. He was sitting in a chair with wheels on its sides. The man had a fake leg and arm made of a strange material they had never seen. Rory had also found a spot to watch what the outworlders had called basketball. She watched the troopers play with hunger in her eyes.

The ball changed hands a few time until one of the Canadian soldiers with the aid of an American one managed to throw into the hoop. Cheers went up from the refugees and soldiers watching the game.

"I told you you'd all be sorry!" exclaimed jokingly the man as he thumped his chest with both hands. The other players laughed at this display and some slapped him behind the back. One of them looked at the gathered refugees with a smile.

"Any of you want to try this?"

Many of the children ran up in excitement, eager to try out the sport. They formed up in a line at the Coalition soldiers' insistence. They soon had fun being shown how to throw the orange basketball into the hoop. Even Rory, Lelei and Tuka had their chance to try out much to their enjoyment.

 **Skies of Arnus Province, June 1st, 1000**

"Tally ho!" called out a Japanese pilot from the inside of his F-4, "FOX TWO!"

The familiar sound of a missile being fired could be then heard. The Sidewinder flew through the skies before hitting an Imperial dragon rider scout. Over the past few weeks, in the aftermath of the Flame Dragon attack, a no-fly zone had been put into effect over the skies of Arnus province. It had the goal of making sure that monster didn't attack any more settlements.

Fighter sweeps were also being done outside to the province in order to find and kill the Flame Dragon if it was hiding outside. Since there was not enough fighters to go around, it was deemed more practical to limit the no-fly zone over Arnus Province.

The effect of the no-fly zone was being felt as less and less Imperial dragon flights were spotted over the weeks. Casualties mounted slowly and steadily, preventing any form of Imperial aerial reconnaissance in Arnus and reducing Imperial winged assets.

 **Bandit camp, unknown location in Arnus province, 2000**

A bandit leader was listening intently to a newly arrived messenger. The man had come from one of the other bandit groups that had formed in the aftermath of the bloodbaths of Arnus. He had come bearing a proposal from his leader.

To attack the fortified city of Italica. The city was a rich trade hub but it was poorly defended after the losses in the Imperial legions and the death of its lord, Count Colt of Formal. It was also filled with refugees and their belongings. More plunder for any conqueror.

Its great walls was also something that the bandits were after. Ever since the Gate had appeared, demons roamed freely, seeking souls for a foul, unknown god. After that, the army that had defeated the Imperial and vassal armies had begun hunting them down while a new Imperial commander had appeared on the scene and was doing the same thing. Within the walls of Italica, they would be safe and wealthy rather than scraping a living off banditry that grew ever more risky and dangerous. It was also a chance for a battle that had been denied to them for months. A glorious battle in the name of Emroy where they would get glorious bloodshed and rich, plentiful plunder.

The bandit leader nodded and told the messenger that he would lead his men to Italica to partake in the slaughter and looting. He smiled at the rewards that the city would bear to him and his men.

 **Slaver camp, somewhere in Arnus province, 0100**

In the darkness of night, a pair of guards suddenly fell to the ground with dull thuds, their heads struck by well placed shots. Near them, a fire pit was still smoking. The rest of the slavers were still sleeping after a long day of plundering and raiding, unaware of the brewing storm in the woods around them.

One of them, however, was wide awake. The man had wandered to the slave cages with a lecherous look in his eyes. Some of the women and girls that were still awake looked at him in terror, knowing that one of them would be his next victim.

Before anyone could understand what happened, a series of detonations and bright flashes shook the camp awake. In their tents, bandits rose from their slumber in panic, trying to understand what was happening. Realization hit one of them.

"THE DEMONS ARE HERE!" shouted out the man. Panicked shouting could be heard. Some rushed to their weapons while others tried to flee. Whatever they did however, they fell to the ground, dead as they were struck down by the demons' attack.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

"WHERE'S THE HARPY?!"

"SHE'S OVER HERE!" shouted back another, "DO SOMETHING WITCH!"

To the slaver's shock, the harpy, a bird girl, was lying on the ground, clutching her head. He ran over to her, trying to figure out what had happened. Upon arriving, he noticed that she was completely dazed and that her hands were on her ears. Before he could do anything, a sharp pain hit him in the chest and he fell.

Myuute was completely stunned. Earlier, the bandit girl was sleeping in her tent when her heightened senses warned her of danger. As she got out of her tent, a strange magic caused a blast of light to appear next to her that blinded her and a massive, thunder-like sound deafened her. What mage commanded this power had left her helpless on the ground. She felt, through her magic, the other bandits fall, struck down with impunity.

Inside the slave cages, the women and girls stared in horror at the massacre happening before their eyes. Most of them were terrified as they heard their captors crying that demons had beset them before being killed before their very eyes. Others had suddenly gotten restless. These captives could not be understood as they spoke languages that none of the others could understand. When the slaves looked at these, they noticed that on their eyes were glimmers of hope.

The massacre suddenly stopped. Suddenly, silhouettes began to appear from the forest around them. They stood on two legs like men but had strange green glowing eyes and wolf-like fangs on their faces.

"Help us! We're over here!" cried one of the captives in English, "Save us!"

One of the silhouettes' head spun towards the cages while his colleagues moved to secure the camp. Activating his radio, a surprised Lt. Johnson contacted his team leader, Captain Richer.

"Blizzard One, this is Blizzard Two, got eyes on some captives here. Moving to secure!"

"Blizzard Two, understood!"

As he and his team of JTF2 operators moved closer, some of the occupants of the slave cages shuddered in fear at the demonic beings moving towards them. The lieutenant lowered his facemask and raised his night vision goggles for a brief moment.

"I'm from the Canadian Forces and we're here to help you," declared the operator in English and Saderan. His men were opening the cages and freeing the captives.

"Thank you!" whispered out a woman, "I was afraid I'd never be saved!"

There was elation in her surprised, weary voice while tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. "Can you get me home?" she asked the man in a hopeful whisper.

"We'll get you out Ma'am," replied the lieutenant. He noticed that the woman had a few bruises and scratches from her mistreatment and captivity. He signaled for one of his medics to begin doing a quick check up on the slaves.

"From where are you from?" asked Johnson.

"The UK," tiredly answered the woman, "How long has it been?"

The lieutenant calculated quickly in his mind before answering her. Her jaw went slack as she realized just how long it had been since her ordeal had started.

Meanwhile, Captain Richer had called up Arnus to inform them of the situation and requisition transport for the newly liberated captives. Two of his men returned with what appeared to be a girl.

"Sir, we've found this... bird girl lying near one of the tents. Got hit by one of our flashbangs."

The girl looked clearly dazed as she looked in confusion at the gathered JTF2 team.

"Why didn't you contact me by radio?" asked the captain.

"Here's the thing sir," replied the operator, "We tried to but something's been jamming our comms sporadically."

"That's impossible. I was in touch with Arnus a few moments ago."

The captain did a radio check only to notice that his message was garbled and that the answer was as well.

"We think it's this girl," replied the second JTF2 member, "We heard the enemy refer to her as a witch."

The captain could understand why as he stared at her. Her bird-like appearance screamed magical being with her talons and feathered head. She recoiled in fear. At the same time, a message from Lt. Jackson came through... clearly.

"Blizzard One, this is Blizzard Two. We've found some enemy intel on one of the slavers."

"Understood Blizzard Two, what is it?"

"It's a message inviting this group to attack a nearby trading hub. A place called Italica. It's on the main road out of this province."

"Right, anything else?"

"Negative Blizzard One! The area is secured. Over!"

In Captain Richer's mind, this was news that needed to reach Arnus quickly.

 **FOB Arnus Hill, June 5th, 0600**

 _'Well... into the breach again'_

Kinh had mounted his G-wagon. He quickly looked over his C7A2 rifle again and checked if it was ready to go. Grabbing his microphone, he quickly contacted the other recon team leaders to make sure everyone's radio was working. A prompt answer from the other teams confirmed their radio was working.

The familiar sound of engines could be heard as the Coalition convoy set about the road. A dozen vehicles were heading to Italica as an initial contact party. If intel gathered from a P.O.W. and captured bandit messengers was correct, the trading hub town was threatened by bandits and renegade Imperial and Allied Kingdom troops. The convoy was to make first contact and help determine the next course of action.

There was however something else that motivated the deployment of troops to Italica. In Itami's Humvee, rode Lelei, Rory and Tuka. The three girls had tipped off the Coalition that the dragon scales were very prized in Falmart and that they would fetch a high price if they were sold. The suggestion had made it to the Coalition commanders who also saw an opportunity to help the refugees by selling the scales and using the funds to aid the refugee town's development.

As they drove through Arnus town, they could see some normalcy setting in. Farmers exited their homes to tend their fields while Coalition troops were patrolling the streets, making sure that everyone was safe.

A familiar voice came over the radio. It was Jimmy.

"Yo dudes, what's your gut feeling on this?"

Kinh paused to think about it. Itami had chosen to answer first.

"Personally, I think it's going to be a routine mission. We're just being a convoy going to a big city and establish contact with the locals," replied Itami, "Maybe stop a small bandit raid."

"Man, I don't know why but I got a bad feeling about this," answered back Jimmy, "Something doesn't feel right about this."

Kinh gave back his answer.

"Honestly guys, I have no idea what to expect of this. This world has its fair share of fucked up shit."

He suddenly remembered something else.

"Yo, you guys got that message for the Diet session?"

He was met with a groan from Jimmy.

"Bro, that's just plain retarded. Why the fuck do they want a bunch of junior officers to talk in front of politicians?"

"Because we were the ones that fought that giant dragon," stated Itami.

"Thank you _Taïsho_ Obvious," sighed Kinh, "That's exactly what they said in the memo. If I understood correctly, there's people from our governments. Knowing my luck, I'll end up being on a selfie with Trudeau."

He briefly paused.

"Eh, could be funny," chuckled the man.

"Yeah," snorted Jimmy. "What about the girls?"

"Knowing Trudeau, he'd jump on the occasion to take pictures with the 'poor refugees'," replied Kinh, "I wouldn't be surprised if he organized a banquet or something like that for them. Man loves P.R. work."

"Well, I'm kind of worried about this," replied Itami, "I have to show up in front of politicians who want nothing more than to discredit us. The girls, I'm not even sure if they're up to it."

In his jeep, Jimmy shook his head. The whole situation was mind boggling.

"Honestly, this is just crazy," answered the Marine, "The girls don't speak English, Japanese or even French properly."

"Except for Lelei...crisse that kid's good at learning languages," remarked Kinh, "From what I think, they chose Tuka cause she's non-human but fits into the cute elf cliché and looks for the cameras, Lelei cause she's good with languages... though why the fuck did Rory get picked?"

"Ah, that's my fault," answered Itami, "She pestered me until I gave in..."

"Calisse man, tu me fucking niaises ostie!?"

The sound of ribbiting could be heard before a sarcastic remark could be heard.

"Bro, no one understands Frog speech here except you and your Beaver people."

"Whatever."

"As for you Itami? I'm not gonna even comment about how dumb that was."

Kinh's mind was trying to figure a logical reason as to why Rory was invited.

"Maybe they invited cause she's an important religious figure?" theorised Kinh. He paused. "If that's the case though, why did she have to be a part of a church for a god of war and violence," he groaned.

"Beats me man," answered Jimmy, "Politics aren't something I'm dealing with normally."

"Same here Kinh," added Itami.

"Ehh, fuck that shit for the moment," grunted Kinh, "Let's focus on the present. We got Italica to deal with in an hour or so."

He was met with approval from his fellow officers. Soon, the net was silent. Looking outside, the Canadian officer decided to pick up his journal and began rereading it.

' _Look at all the shit I saw in the past months... ahh, let's write a bit.'_

He briefly looked outside for inspiration. The road had let them through the countryside of Falmart. It was now a familiar sight after so many missions out of Arnus. Putting his pen to paper, the man began to write.

 _June 5th 20XX_

 _After other more and more routine missions and patrols, we are once more on the road. This time, we are heading to a town called Italica to establish contact and trade. According to the locals, it is an important commercial hub for this land and Command has deemed it important for us to meet their leaders in order to set the base for trade deals for the ever more vibrant refugee town._

 _Otherwise, it's rather plain. The countryside, though at first new and exciting, is now a thing of usual. It no longer feels as if we were driving through a new, unexplored land. It's become more of the same thing. I feel the same way as if we were driving through the roads to Mont Tremblant right now to go on a holiday._

 _This mission however seems rather normal... yet Jimmy has a gut feeling that something will happen. That guy's intuition seems rather good. Let's hope he's wrong for once._

Having run out of inspiration, Kinh closed his journal before looking out the window, scanning the horizon for danger.

 **Finally got this chapter out... it was a tough one to write. I really wanted to write about the humanitarian work since it was an aspect that I absolutely wanted to see in Gate but it was never really expanded on. I wanted it to get it just right so I spend a lot of time tuning this one out.**

 **Most importantly... today is Remembrance Day or Veterans' Day. May we never forget their sacrifices for our freedom today. Hats off to veterans everywhere**


	11. Chapter 10: Italica

**AN:** **First off, as always, thanks to F-14 Tomcat Lover (especially for the negotiation scene and the Bozes scene), the forum crew and The Tundra Fox for the beta-reading of this chapter. Their help is always invaluable in making this story.**

 **Also, GATE, its characters and the real word organizations don't belong to me. They belong to their respective owners. Same with Sgt. Steven Grey Ryan, President James Kelly Grey (F-14 Tomcat), Lieutenant Jack Johnson (TheCanadianPatriot), Ronny Marinin(The Tundra Fox), the M1A1 Here We Go Again (Faust1812) and Private Wade Nilsson (MandaloreTheFreedom). Only my OC's belong to me.**

 **Terribly sorry about the very, very long delay. Real life happened with finals and the Christmas holidays getting in the way. The good news is that I'm almost finished with my bachelor's of History. So... without further ado, here comes the next chapter of Van Doos!**

 **An extra thanks to The Tundra Fox for the new cover as well.**

 **Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 _Chapter 10: Italica_

 **Southern Gate, Italica, June 5th, 0850**

The whistling of arrows being released at the mass of men before Italica's wall could be heard. Meanwhile the sound of swords clashing against one another rang around the southern entrance to the town. Above the city's entrance, the defenders poured a vat of boiling oil to try to stem the enemy's rush into the breached gate.

Barely trained Imperial legionnaires and town guards fought near the gateway against bandits and madmen bearing the armour of their former vassals or even of their own Empire. The dead and injured littered the ground as the horde was being repelled by the defenders in blood.

From the top of the gateway, Princess Pina was shouting orders to her troops.

"Release another volley!" yelled the tired princess, "They're breaking!"

More arrows rained down upon the faltering enemy. Very soon afterwards, the blaring of a horn sounded, calling the retreat and forcing the bandits to flee. They left behind their dead and wounded, leaving the field to Pina and Italica's defenders.

The princess let out a sigh of relief before turning back to the courtyard. She could see the wearied defenders catching their breaths.

"Hamilton! Norma! Are you hurt?" Pina called out. She heard her page's answer.

"I'm alive... somehow!" replied a tired Hamilton. Her and Norma were leaning themselves against the improvised barricades that had been erected. As she made her way down from Italica's battlements, she heard Grey's voice.

"How cold," chuckled the aged veteran, "Are you not concerned about me Princess?"

The man was still standing proudly, with his bloodied sword held behind his back. His demeanour was rather cheerful despite him being covered in sweat and dust.

"Your safety was never in doubt Grey," proudly replied Pina.

He laughed back.

Before anyone could say anything, the sound of distant, rapid war drums being beaten coming from the south. Pina gasped in shock before running back up the tower.

 _'More bandits!?'_

Her small forces were already stretched thin defending the town from ever escalating bandit attacks that started at the same time she arrived with her retinue in Italica.

 **20km south of Italica**

A large convoy of armoured vehicles passed down the road. They had just finished engaging a group of bandits with ease with their heavy weapons. They had just reached the top of a hill when they stopped.

"We got smoke coming from down the road," Itami called out over the radio. Looking through his binoculars, he heard Kurata talking.

"Sir, that's where Italica should be according to the maps."

"Understood," Itami replied before grabbing the radio to contact his colleagues. He heard Rory make a remark about smelling blood, causing him to shudder internally.

Upon hearing his Japanese counterpart's message, Kinh groaned.

 _'Looks like Jimmy's right... again.'_

"What's the gameplan then gentlemen?" asked the Canadian. He was promptly answered by Jimmy.

"We haul our asses close enough and scope out the place and tell command what's going on."

"Good idea," Itami replied grimly, "Let's hope we're not too late."

Kinh felt a quick tap on his shoulder. It was Brisebois.

"Do I contact HQ for this?" asked the radio operator.

A quick nod.

"Yes, ask them if we proceed or not."

After a few moments, a message came from higher up ordering to continue to Italica and evaluate the situation there. Soon enough, the sound of engines could be heard as dust was picked up by advancing vehicles.

 **Eastern Gate, Italica, 0920**

Princess Pina had rushed down from Formal Manor to the southern gate. Earlier, she had been awoken by the Formals' head maid because strange visitors had arrived. After the escalating bandit attacks, she had trouble understanding why had they arrived.

She was currently standing behind the gate with Grey and Hamilton and peering through a wooden slit. Almost a dozen green metal chariots of various styles were in front of them. They had spread in a sort of wing-like pattern. They fit the description that Pina had received from the refugees that survived the dragon attack.

"I have never seen such iron wagons," whispered Grey, "These must be the Men in Green we've heard."

They suddenly saw a door on the lead wagon open. The next few moments surprised them. A Lindonite mage, a blond-haired high elf, and the infamous Rory the Reaper. What surprised them the most was the appearance of a man wearing strange green clothing that followed the girls.

Meanwhile, in his G-Wagon, Kinh and his men watched Itami and the girls walk up to the door.

"Ostie qu'il est con," (Fuck, he's dumb), muttered Fortier, "Guy's not carrying his gun."

"Is he trying to get himself killed?" wondered Brisebois as he shook his head. He was still on the G-Wagon's turret, waiting to act if necessary. "Got some ballistae and infantry on the wall."

"Are they moving?" asked anxiously Kinh as he continued monitoring the situation ahead through his binoculars. He barely finished his sentence that he saw the door open... and slam right into Itami. "MERDE!" swore the lieutenant, "Itami's down, fuck!" He grabbed his radio again and began issuing orders to his team and getting reports. He let out a quick sigh of relief when his unit reported that there were no hostile movements on the wall. He then made sure that they kept their weapons pointed towards Italica before radioing his American counterpart.

"Wanna go wake up Sleeping Beauty and see what's going on?"

"Sure do man."

Pina was staring at the unconscious man. Angry and worried voices had come from a small black box on his chest before stopping. The elf accompanying him was chastising her while she poured water from a green bottle on his face.

At the same time, she heard the sounds of doors opening and closing. Looking through the gateway, Pina saw four more Men in Green appear from their wagons. However, despite wearing green clothing, these warriors wore different patterns of uniforms from the man in front of her. They also carried long black or green staffs that hung from slings.

Her mind flashed back as she threw a glance at the group of approaching soldiers and the unconscious one. Realization hit her.

' _This man must be their liege lord,'_ thought Pina in mounting panic, ' _They must be from the vassal nations that the refugees told of!'_

Looking at them, she could see their stern faces as they moved closer. The men were mostly of similar complexion, resembling her people except for one that looked more like the man lying before her.

' _Have I incurred their wrath upon Italica?'_

She worried that the liege would take great offence and order his army and his vassals to burn down Italica while her forces would be powerless.

The four men had finally reached their comrade. They began to speak to each other before one, perhaps a healer, crouched to check their friend. The others looked around warily, trying to gauge what would happen. Finally, the healer sighed in annoyance and gave a sign of his hand while two of them nodded.

Suddenly, to Pina's total shock and surprise, one of them grabbed their liege by the front of his chest piece, roughly picked him up and gave him a few slaps in the face before yelling at him.

"Aweille mon ostie de moumoune! Réveille toé crisse!" yelled Kinh, "On n'a pas toute la fucking journée." (Come on you goddamn fag! Wake up dammit! We don't have the whole fucking day.)

Pina's mind tried to understand the scene that just happened. What kind of vassal could act so impudently with his liege?

Meanwhile, Jimmy had turned towards the crowd that had gathered at the town gate.

"Can anyone tell me what's going on right now?"

Everyone suddenly pointed to a young redheaded woman in elaborate armour. Judging by the groaning sound that Jimmy heard, Itami was starting to come around. The Marine noted the princess' peculiar appearance. Her eyes were an, by Earth standards, an unusual red color like her hair. Atop her red mane of hair, he could see a small crown, some kind of golden circlet. Her light armour reminded him of cliché video game armour, protecting the more feminine parts of her anatomy. The American also noted the light fabric that popped out of her armour. A long red shirt with detached black sleeves was under her chest piece while she wore a white skirt and matching high heeled boots.

As Jimmy finished assessing the woman, he could see that by now Itami had come around. The JSDF officer shaking the last of the blow from his head and the medic confirming that he had no concussion symptoms. He winced slightly at the few scrapes he got from hitting the ground.

 _'I'm gonna feel that tomorrow morning.'_

His Canadian counterpart was now looking at him with extreme annoyance. The American noticed Kinh muttering some Québécois swearing.

 _'And HOPEFULLY_ ,' Jimmy began to think, seeing the same thing crossing Kinh's mind, _'he'll learn to BOTH carry his weapon AND be more cautious about approaching doors of places hit hard and recently by battle_.'

"Excuse me, but you are?" Jimmy asked impatiently. The woman was clearly anxious as she could barely formulate her answer.

"M-m-me-me?" The important looking woman pointed at herself. She was clearly at a loss for words and off-balance at the American talking to her.

"Oy, try not to scare her _too much_ eh?" shot out Kinh as he rolled his eyes. _'Goddamn Yanks always scaring the shit of people for nothing.'_

He was still looking over Itami who was picking himself up.

"No," responded Jimmy with irritation sounding clearly in his voice, "I'm asking Rory right there, oh wait! I know Rory and she's not the one everyone is pointing fingers at. So out with it. Who are you?"

Before anyone could say anything, a shocked gasp was heard coming from another woman. Turning his head towards the source, he could see a younger, brown-haired woman. She wore similar, though less elaborate armour compared to the other woman. Judging by her expression, she was clearly angered by his display towards the redheaded VIP.

"Impudent fools!" declared Hamilton, "This is an affront to Princess Pina Co Lada! The fifth child of Emperor Molt Sol Augustus, Third Princess of the Saderan Empire!"

The Coalition officers' minds raced. An enemy princess here of places? It was an opportunity to be seized. Command had to know. The royal was however clearly embarrassed by the younger woman's antics while the three men ignored her little outburst.

It left them questions however. They could understand her presence here. Italica was a key trade city, located on strategic routes. There was no sign of significant Imperial troops amongst the city's defenders despite the royal being here. Was she here as the commander of the defense? It was very odd that she didn't have much of in the way protection with her. The younger woman, in the Coalition officer's mind, was clearly lackluster if she was a bodyguard. Had the rest perished or had she left without them. Many questions unanswered yet one was at the forefront of the American and Canadian's minds. One that Kinh decided to voice.

"Excuse me, your Highness, I did not get your name properly," asked Kinh, "Could you say it again?" Did his ears play tricks on him or was she really named like a cocktail?

The Princess seemed to have worked up the nerve to answer though it was still shaky.

"Y-yes, I am Third Princess Pina Co Lada, leader of the Rose Order Knights and Commander of the 3rd and 5th Imperial Legions."

She noted that by now, the vassals and their liege were looking at each other in surprise.

"Did I really hear what I just heard?" asked Kinh in English. He did his best not to burst out laughing at her name.

"Yup, this world's getting fucking crazier by the minute," answered a serious faced Jimmy, though a twitch could be seen in his hand, "Let's get to work."

"Good idea." added Itami neutrally, like he didn't care and for both officers, they figured he didn't.

They quickly introduced themselves before asking permission for their troops as well as the three girls to enter the city. The royal initially hesitated until a promise of non-aggression from the gathered men reassured her of their good will. Once this was done, Princess Pina proposed for them to follow her to the Formal Clan's mansion while she explained the situation in Italica.

As they walked through the streets, the three officers took note of the city's state and talked to each other.

"Typical medieval city if you asked me," remarked Kinh as they walked through a wide boulevard, "Should have taken that course about medieval cities back in UQÀM though."

"With all those narrow alleys and streets, this place would be a pain to clear out," noted Jimmy, "Those tightly packed houses could make for some nasty places for ambushes."

They also noticed how the city streets were filled with huddling people in various states of despair. They were dirty, tired and some looked famished. Some had a few precious belongings in hand or in reach. A few daringly eyed the princess, her retinue and the newly arrived officers in ways that made the Marine and Canadian keep a tighter grip on their rifle slings, but Grey would then send a look, one that promised something no doubt painful and those eyes would suddenly find something else more interesting.

"I don't think they're beggars," muttered Itami sympathetically at the downtrodden people.

"Probably refugees," answered Jimmy already recalling standard doctrines, SOP, and the training formats for application to the current situation, "With all the fighting that's been happening and all those bandits and insurgents out there, probably the countryside out there isn't safe anymore."

"Safe is a rather relative term," added Kinh, "To give you an idea, if this place is like our Middle-Ages, chances are the countryside around here wasn't very safe to start with. Honestly, I think the Far West was probably paradise compared to the situation right now." He paused briefly. "It probably got worst after all those battles though and the loss of so many troops. No one left to patrol the region's roads and some of the survivors gone rogue and plundering everything."

Itami's face suddenly lit up in realization.

"Hey, if this town is an important trading hub, that means they must have an important marketplace that might sell slaves."

"Shit, you're right man!" swore Kinh, "We might be able to find more of our people there."

"Can't believe I forgot that," replied Jimmy.

"What do we do then?" asked the Canadian lieutenant, "Do we ask now or do we wait?"

"We'd better wait if you ask me," answered Jimmy, waving his right hand to indicate their surroundings, "If we have to save this town, we can get a better bargain. See what I mean?"

His colleagues nodded in approval.

Meanwhile, Pina did her best to keep a straight face. The outlanders were talking to each other in their own languages. The way they looked around meant that they were probably trying to analyse the city's layout, perhaps to prepare for a takeover. Frankly, if they were able to drive off a flame dragon with ease according to the rumours, they could very easily take this city.

Yet, if she could persuade them to aid Italica, perhaps they could be swayed not to harm the city. Her mind also raced towards the point where they introduced themselves. The soldiers of Canada were from a Royal 22nd Regiment, meaning that they were from a kingdom. That confirmed the knowledge that they were fighting three kingdoms. Perhaps she could offer herself to the liege nation, Japan, as a wife or concubine for its king or crown prince as a means to buy peace and save the Saderan Empire?

After a moment of walking through one of the city's large boulevards, the mismatched group had finally reached a luxurious mansion with magnificent, lush green gardens. Majestic marble statues stood proudly and the sound of flowing water could be heard from fountains. Gardeners could be seen tending the plants and flowers as if there was no war. A clear change of scenery compared to the cramped and dirty streets of the city.

As they entered the mansion's well furnished hallways, Pina began to explain the situation to them. Italica, just like intel had said, was a key fortress city that straddled two key highways and served as a major trading hub.

However, with the ongoing war and resulting chaos, it turned into a refugee hub as well with inhabitants fleeing the war stopping in Italica before heading elsewhere... if they were fortunate enough. Otherwise, many were stuck here, trying to find enough money to resettle. Supplies had been stretched as the bandit problem led to disruptions in the food supply. With Imperial forces decimated and stretched thin, Italica was barely defended by a cohort that was being reinforced with local conscripts. Bandit attacks had gotten worst over the past weeks, culminating in large assaults against its walls.

The princess then explained the situation concerning the local leadership. The ruling family, the Formals', had been the rulers of this city and its surrounding lands for many generations. The last count, however, fell in battle along with the city's army fighting against the coalition. That left the title upon the last of his three daughters with the elder sisters squabbling for control over her guardianship. The older siblings were married and couldn't claim the title unlike their sister.

Kinh was making a mental checklist and shook his head.

 _'Typical feudal shit.'_

He was also sniffling and sneezing the whole time they walked in the hallways. Jimmy and Itami looked at him in curiosity. The lieutenant did a thumbs up to say he was okay.

' _I hope they don't have cats here... it could get embarrassing.'_

He saw his colleagues' expressions deepen in concentration as they processed the information.

The situation had gotten more complex than just bringing scales to trade. Now, they were dealing with a potentially large scale siege as well as dealing with high ranking enemy leadership. Something that junior officers normally didn't do. The group stopped as they arrived at what the Coalition officers presumed was the throne room. Pina's next statement confirmed it for them.

"Beyond this door lies the current ruler of Italica and Countess of Formal, Myui," said Pina before opening the door. As it opened, the officers saw a child that sat upon a throne far too big for her. The blond haired, blue eyed countess looked at them with great nervousness.

"Eh merde..." muttered Kinh before sneezing. Lelei then whispered something about her being 11 years old.

"Things just got more complicated," whispered Jimmy, "A kid that's a countess and an enemy princess leading the show here."

"I think it's a chance for us to win the hearts and minds of the people here," Itami commented quietly.

His American and Canadian counterparts nodded in approval.

After making sure that Tuka, Lelei, and Rory weren't under any form of duress as well as understanding that the Coalition was willing to help, Pina and Myui led the group to a small dining room. Rory's presence more or less made this unlikely as legends of her abilities were known.

They sat at a table with Countess Myui sitting at the head and Pina on one side. The Coalition officers sat on the other side with Jimmy being closest to the royals followed by Kinh and finally Itami.

This confused the nobles even more. Why was the liege lord sitting the furthest from them with his vassals installed closer to the Imperials? Perhaps as a mean of protection? It intrigued Pina and made her task more difficult as the liege lord was furthest from her, thus being harder to discuss with directly.

An old maid had brought a tray of wine for them to drink. The officers declined politely, explaining that their military customs didn't allow them to drink while on duty. Such an act could be severely punished by their leaders. This slightly stunned the hosts. Pina had hoped that a bit of wine would make them more relaxed and thus more cooperative and malleable. Clearly, these men did not trifle around. Taking her chance, the princess began to speak in a diplomatic tone while making sure she looked as regal as possible.

"So you will help us defend this city."

Jimmy was first to answer.

"Yes, indeed your Highness, but only on certain terms."

Pina drew a sharp breath and froze up at this. What would they ask?

"Terms!? Innocent lives are at stake!" exclaimed the royal while leaning forward on her chair, "Surely you jest!"

"Exactly your Highness," answered seriously Kinh, "You must understand that our armies have been fighting each other for the past months. We cannot just trust you right away. There is nothing that guarantees us that you will not betray us."

His face was hard as stone as he explained his logic.

"What would you ask in exchange for protecting Italica?"

Jimmy looked at the princess straight in the eyes. He could tell that the next thing he would say would be unpleasant for the princess to hear.

"Your Highness, we'd need to take complete control of the city's defense."

Pina and Hamilton gasped at this. At the same time, the older maid leaned in next to Myui and began whispering into the countess' ears. The young noble nodded at whatever the maid told her.

"You ask us to hand over this city to you!" exclaimed Pina rising from her seat. In her haste, she had almost tossed her chair on its back.

"That is unacceptable," riled the young princess while swiping her arm in front of her before pointing an accusatory finger at Jimmy, Kinh and Itami. "You say you do not trust me leading the defense yet you demand that I trust you doing the same!"

"You Highness," cut in Kinh. Irritation was written over his face as his brow furrowed. His voice had also risen in volume.

"You must understand that the way we fight is completely different from yours! How can you possibly expect to use our skills to their full extent if you don't even comprehend how our weapons and tactics work?"

By now, the princess had sat down. Her arms were folded across her chest while a scowl had adorned her face. Her eyes had narrowed as well.

"That is not the point," retorted Pina, "What proof do I have that you will not take over this city? It would be far too easy for you turn on Italica and her people once your armies arrive."

"Excuse me Princess," spoke up nervously Itami, "We do not have any bad intentions for the city and its inhabitants. There are very strict laws in our world that dictate how soldiers behave while at war. We only wish to help."

An audible groan was heard from Jimmy as his hand covered his face. Kinh rolled his eyes in annoyance.

 _'Crisse man, do you really think a bunch of Roman-Medievals who practice slavery would have something like the Genevan Convention? Urgh, you gotta learn from somewhere... I guess. '_

Jimmy cleared his throat before continuing while Pina looked at Itami as if he had grown another head. Laws of war? What kind of absurdity was this?

"However, such help can only be offered if we can operate to the full extent of our capabilities. In order to do so, we need to have full control of the defense. We are willing to use your talents in aiding us."

"If you are not willing to cooperate with us your Highness," added Kinh snidely, "Then we'll leave you with the defence of this city and hope it'll go for the best. Hopefully, Italica will still stand after all of this is over."

Jimmy nodded in approval before adding in his two cents.

"My colleague has a point here. We will leave and find a more cooperative place for trading the dragon scales."

"You cannot do that," answered worriedly Pina, "Our forces cannot hold this city without your aid!"

"We can't just put our faith in your hands. We are technically still enemies for the time being!" retorted Kinh while banging his fist on the table, "You can trust us in doing what is right and work with us but if you do not, we'll just pack up and leave like my friend just said."

Itami glared at Kinh and Jimmy. He had not expected them to drive such a harsh negotiation.

A creepy giggling was suddenly heard. It was Rory. Everyone turned their heads at her upon hearing it.

"Princess, I have witnessed what these men and women can do in terms of good for the innocent. It would be far wiser of you to let them defend Italica then to let your pride mislead you in the defense."

"It is true your Highness," added in Lelei, "These warriors have worked hard to aid the people that they've met and I trust them in their sincerity. With their help, I believe that Italica will be properly defended."

The princess had a look of surprise. An important religious figure had just openly supported the enemy while a mage student had praised them. She looked over at Tuka, expecting an answer. The elf appeared nervous at the royal's scrutiny.

"What the others say is but the truth your Highness," she finally said.

The three officers felt small relief at hearing the girls' praise. A few choice words from locals could help sway the princess and the countess to their cause. They hadn't noticed that the maid was again whispering in Myui's ear as they were concentrated on Pina.

The princess was deeply concentrated, trying to figure out the best course of action. The silence was suddenly broken by the small sound of someone delicately clearing their throat.

"Princess Pina, perhaps it would be wiser to let these men lead the defense," spoke up Countess Myui, "I do not believe that her Holiness would lie to us about these men. As ruler of Italica and head of Formal Clan, you have my support."

Pina's mouth was agape. The countess had effectively just gone against her. She swallowed her pride before answering in a defeated tone.

"Very well, you may take command of Italica's defense."

She hoped that it was not a mistake of her part of trusting these men.

"Excellent!" exclaimed a relieved Kinh, "I knew you would see reason your Highness." He turned to face Brisebois and waved for him to come over. "I'll report this to Arnus and call in reinforcements."

Itami and Jimmy nodded. Kinh began talking into the radio's handset and explaining the new situation. As he did his report, he stopped briefly.

"Yes! Her name is really Pina Co Lada!"

Meanwhile, the JGSDF and Marine Lieutenant turned to Pina who was looking curiously at Kinh.

"Your Highness, may we go to your planning room?" asked Itami, "We'll start figuring out a plan to defend the city."

"Yes, you may," replied the princess. She looked at the one called Lieutenant Huynh. "What is he doing?"

"He's talking to our base at Arnus," explained Jimmy, "He's requesting reinforcements to aid us."

"But Arnus is days away from here!" exclaimed Pina. Before she could continue, she was interrupted by Kinh.

"All right, got some good news," he announced, "We're getting reinforcements that'll be flying in about an hour."

His counterparts looked at him before nodding in approval.

"An hour!?" stammered Hamilton, "How is that possible?"

"We have flying machines that can carry our soldiers very quickly. It took us three hours getting here with our..." Jimmy paused, "Horseless wagons."

The royals' eyes widened. How could they be so fast?

"They should arrive with our superiors to take over command as well." stated Kinh, "So what are we looking at here your Highness?"

Pina's mind snapped back to the task of planning before she started pointing at the map.

"As you may have already seen, Italica at a key crossroad with two very steep hills and river at her back while at her center stands the Formal mansion and its surrounding walls. That limits the access to a single narrow road and bridge. The bandits have not made any attempts," explained the princess, "As for the other walls and gates, the south gate has been attacked and been severely damaged. They have been trying to push from there for the past week and managed to break through earlier this morning before being pushed back."

"Thank you your Highness," said Itami while taking notes, "What about the state of your forces?"

"Our forces are mostly poorly trained militia, roughly 1000-strong, a severely depleted cohort, roughly a third of one and three of my personal knights. We also have many ballistae mounted on the walls but not enough trained men to use all of them. Perhaps your men could make use of them?"

"The ballistae won't be necessary Princess Pina," replied Itami.

"Roughly 150 trained men then?" asked Jimmy, "What of the enemy?"

Kinh was taking notes and analyzing the situation through his mind. It was a tough situation but he had to hand it to the princess and her skill in holding the line so far.

"They are, for the most part, new recruits and survivors of Arnus." stated Pina, "I do not how many bandits there are out there but the attacks have been increasing in severity. With the refugees fleeing Arnus and the ever-increasing casualties, the city's supplies have been stretched thin with food and medicine becoming more and more scarce."

"Merde," muttered Kinh before sneezing again, "This is getting more complicated than I thought."

"Can you tell me what is your current plan?" asked Pina as she finished the situation to the outworlders.

"To be honest, you Highness, that would be for our superiors to answer but I presume that we'll place men on the walls with some of our light artillery within the city. How they'll be placed will be determined by our officers though and how the buildings and streets are laid out," explained Jimmy, "We are rather low in our chain of command in fact."

It surprised Pina, again, that such autonomy and initiative was granted to low ranking men. She also had a feeling that such surprises were going to be regular with these people.  
 _'At least I can actually fulfill SOME of my assigned mission to learn about these Men in Green,_ ' Pina mused as she realized the possible advantage of dealing with lower ranking leaders.

"Your Highness, I think it would be a good idea for us to visit the city's defenses," suggested Itami, "See what we have to work with."

"Y-yes," replied nervously Pina. She didn't like to let these men visit Italica's defenses as she feared that they could use this information against her in many ways but she had no choice but to shake their hands.

"'I'll call up my Humvee up and save us some time" added Jimmy while his friends nodded.

"Hum-vee?" asked Pina curiously prompting an answer from the three Coalition officers.

Moments later, Jimmy's Humvee had arrived and the party embarked. As they drove through the large main streets of Italica, Pina couldn't help but note at how smooth the vehicle handled and didn't hesitate to ask a few questions about how it worked as she sat in the backseat.

The Coalition personnel did their best to answer but the language barrier made it somewhat complex. After a moment, Pina's questions changed.

"Excuse me but what do you think your superiors would allow me and my forces to assist you in the defense of Italica?" asked the princess.

Jimmy scratched his chin before turning his head to face her.

"Honestly your Highness, I'd doubt they'd let you fight alongside us considering the whole situation. Maybe they'll let you watch over the civilians and refugees at best."

Meanwhile, gears were turning in Kinh and Itami's heads who were sitting in front of each other.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked the Canadian in English.

"Does it involve letting her and her knights see our weapons in action?" answered back Itami.

A click of the tongue and a nod gave away the answer.

"Your Highness, perhaps we can arrange something," suggested Kinh, "We could ask our superiors if you and your knights can be allowed to see the way we fight."

Pina's eyes widened at this. It was her chance to finally witness what the Empire had faced in the other world and at Arnus. What had driven their allies away from them.

"If possible, I would very much like to witness how your armies fight," answered seriously Pina, "Are your kings going to be here as well for I wish to speak with them?"

"Her Majesty?" asked incredulously Kinh, "She won't be here."

"The Emperor won't be here your Highness," replied nervously Itami, "He probably has other matters to attend to."

"My country doesn't have a king your Highness," said casually Jimmy.

"How can this be?" wondered Pina, "Your kings do not lead you into battle?"

Kinh shook his head.

"No, your Highness. I'd like to explain to you why but at a better time than this."

 _'It's gonna be fucking complicated to make you understand quickly,'_ he mused as everyone got off the jeep.

The group had reached the eastern gate where the teams were already beginning to set themselves up on the walls. Some were filling sandbags and carrying them to the top of the walls. Grey and Norma were watching the situation warily. Sgt. Tremblay-Gagnon and Chief Corporal Lavigne were waiting for them at one of the tower doors. The group of officers and royals made their way there and were greeted before entering the tower.

"Sir, we've managed to convince the locals to let us man this section of the defenses," explained the sergeant. "Julien and Alex have already set up their machines guns."

"Excellent," replied Kinh as they made their way to the top of the walls. Meanwhile, Pina was explaining the situation to her mentor and her chamberlain who didn't look pleased with the turn of events.

"I do not like this your Highness," whispered Norma with barely veiled anger, "They will trick us and take us for ransom."

"Norma," sighed Grey, "Had they wanted to take us hostages, they would have done so already. If they carry weapons and magic that can maim a fire dragon, barely trained legionnaires and militia would be no match for them."

The young knight merely let a grunt of disdain at this.

"I am... rather curious to see how these men and women fight." calmly added Grey.

As the mismatched group reached the top, they could see that the Coalition troops had begun to set up a watch and defenses. Squad automatic weapons were already deployed by their gunners while others kept watch with their binoculars and patrolled the top of the wall. Evidently, the sergeants had taken the initiative before their officers ordered them to.

The Imperials were looking around in curiosity as they saw the Coalition soldiers readying themselves for battle. A strange sound began filling the air slowly as if great blades chopped through the skies. Turning to the source of the sound, they could see what could be only described as flying metal chariots with different markings and carrying men swiftly through the blue skies. They came in various shape and sizes. They appeared to be escorted by what seemed to be iron pegasi. They finally landed and men poured out from them. Many carried equipment that the Imperials could not recognize.

"Wh-what are those?" stammered Hamilton.

"They're our helicopters," answered Jimmy, "Our superiors should be arriving in one of them."

Pina looked at the scene with worry while the American explained briefly the machines they saw in front of them. If anything, these 'helicopters' were already a clear sign that the Coalition that she was facing was nothing that the Saderan Empire had faced before and that it was being outmatched with frightening ease.

' _These Men in Green's flying chariots are so swift and can carry more men and weapons than even the mightiest of our dragons,'_ thought grimly the princess, ' _Father's campaign of scorched earth is useless before such speed.'_

Her thoughts were interrupted by one of the Coalition officers telling her that a May-jor Allen wanted to meet her to discuss the city's defense.

As she and her knights descended from the wall, they could see some of the men entering the city. They wore the same clothes and armour as Lieutenant Foley and carried the same long staffs. They looked around with serious looks on their face. A group of them began moving towards the knights and Pina. Pina noticed that one of them was older with greying blond hair. His grizzled face was a sign that this man was a hardened war leader of great skill.

The man cleared his throat and began addressing them in a rather gruff, down to business voice.

"Excuse me but which one of you is Princess Pina Co Lada?"

Pina introduced herself as professionally as she could, the result of years of etiquette training. She found it rather strange that a veteran leader was dressed the same way as his rank and file but this other world was different.

"I am Third Princess Pina Co Lada of the Saderan Empire."

She briefly bowed her head as a greeting to the man.

"I am pleased to meet you your Highness," replied sharply the man, "I am Major Gabriel Allen, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and acting commander for this operation."

The two leaders shook hands, Pina having being explained the meaning of the gesture earlier on.

"May we discuss at Formal Manor your Highness about the defense of this city?"

 **Canadian sector, FOB Arnus, 1030**

Orders in both French and English were heard throughout the area as Canadian troops rushed to their respective stations. The Airborne troopers of the 3BON of the RCR were mounting up on their CH-146 helicopters while the Van Doos of the 4/22 got on their troops vehicles. The familiar rumble of tanks could be heard as the tankers of the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) drove out of their staging areas.

Private Wade Nilsson looked out the side of his transport, trying to see what was happening around him. His mind snapped back to reality when he felt someone tap his shoulder.

"Yo check it out man!" exclaimed Lewis as he pointed towards the airfield, "The A-10's!"

"Oh shit!"

A pair of A-10's were taking off. Whatever they had to face would have to face the wrath of Earth's dragons.

 **Skies 5km east of Italica, 1100**

CH-146 Griffons were streaking through the skies, flanked by Cobra attack helicopters. Aboard them was a company of Canadian airborne.

Looking out the window, Private Wade Nilssonran a hand through his black hair, his helmet lay on the helicopter's floor in front of him. From what he heard in his briefing before, the city they were headed to had been raided constantly in the past days and that the local defenders were little more than militia with pitchforks and torches.

''Reckon we'll see some action here?" asked a rather excited Lewis.

"Think so man. The town's been under attack nonstop for the past few days," answered Wade.

A voice suddenly came from the cockpit. It was the pilot telling them they were landing at the southern gate. As the Canadian troopers disembarked from their helicopter, they could see that Italica was bearing the scars of the latest battles. The walls were marked by scorch marks while the fields had been burned in some places. Flies could be heard as they flew over decaying bodies. Had the defenders not had time to clean the corpses? The gate had been broken through, clearly done using a ram.

Atop the walls, they could see troops setting up defenses. Sandbags were stacked while the familiar sight of machine gun and MK.19's being sighted in by their crews was recognized by the Canadian soldiers as they entered the city's gate.

"Yup well, I think shit's getting real here," remarked Wade, "With all that firepower being set up."

He saw his platoon commander ordering them to head up to the top of the walls. As they reached the top, Wade could see clearly the fields. It was open land with no cover.

He knew what was coming.

Meanwhile, on the eastern gate, Jimmy was keeping an eye out for any enemy activity. Next to his squad of Marines was Kinh and Itami's units as well as other troops that were guarding the walls. Rory was pestering Itami while Lelei was asking questions to some of the troops about their world. Tuka was staring at the scene unfolding before her eyes with her usual blank stare.

"Still got nothing on the horizon man?" asked a familiar voice. It was Kinh who had broken the silence. "I think they'll chicken out. Considering everything we have set up and the manpower we got here."

"Don't think so since no one's seen any scouts or anything," remarked Jimmy, "It looks like no one in this world likes to do recon."

"Considering how Italica was in bad shape before we got here, they think it's just a matter of time before they overrun the place," suggested Kinh, "Anyhow, they're in for a surprise if they show up eh?"

"I'd wager they'd run into a few ambushes first. Heard some other teams were setting up in the woods on the roads here."

Itami walked up to them with a nervous look on his face.

"Uh, hey guys, can I ask you something?"

"Vas-y man," answered Kinh absent-mindedly, "What's on your mind?"

"I wanted to know why you were so hard on the princess back there?" asked bluntly Itami.

"What?" asked incredulously Jimmy.

"You were kind of hard on her back there. Like threatening to let this city fall to the bandits."

A groan was suddenly heard. It was Kinh. He cleared his throat before starting his explanation.

"Okaydoky, we couldn't just let Princess Hawaiian Punch command us around like her troops. At worst, we'd probably be sent off on some kind of suicide mission judging by how the Imperials have been throwing men, nah make that corpses, at us for the past months. At best, she wouldn't even understand how we fight so we'd be fighting with a hand in the back."

Jimmy chimed in to add his own explanation.

"Not to mention that she's an enemy leader whose armies we've been destroying for the past months. Who says she doesn't want us dead so she can steal our shit to use it against us?"

"Considering that we're in some kind of Medieval-Roman place," observed Kinh, "Her family probably does all kinds of fucked up Game of Thrones shit and not just incest eh? They probably murder each other to get to the throne. That's why we had to make her understand we mean business."

Itami couldn't argue with their logic. Still, he didn't like it.

"Do you really think she'll trust after that?" he asked dryly.

"Probably will considering that we'll hold this city and take care of those bandits of hers," answered Jimmy.

"Speaking of the devil, here comes Princess Cocktail," observed Kinh, "and her clique."

Princess Pina and her knights were coming up the wall, escorted by a squad of Marines. The Imperials each had binoculars hanging from around their necks. Their sergeant began to speak.

"We've got orders from the major that the Imperial V.I.P's will be watching the battle and that your teams will be in charge of their security as well as answering any questions they may have."

"Understood," answered Jimmy. He did his best to hide his frown at the idea of babysitting.

Kinh, on the other hand, walked up to the two male knights, with his hand outstretched.

"I do not believe we've had the pleasure to meet each other," he greeted professionally, "I am Lieutenant Kinh-Luyên Huynh, 4th Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment. You are?"

The men of the Rose Order each introduced themselves, starting with Grey. They shook the Canadian's hand with uncertainty, not used to this new form of greeting.

Once the introductions were made between the knights and the Coalition officers, the Saderan nobles began looking at their thunder staffs with curiosity. Grey noticed that some were installed on the walls in a fashion not so different from a ballistae. They were supported by either a pair or trio of metal legs while belts of cylindrical metal objects fed into their sides. Behind them a pair of Men in Green were crewing these weapons.

The veteran knight cleared his throat.

"Excuse me lieutenants, but could you explain to me what are these... metal ballistae?"

Itami answered. "These are our machine guns..."

 **Eastern Wall, Italica, June 6th, 0250**

Pina and her knights stood upon the wall. They had spent the day in company of the soldiers of the Coalition and had understood the defensive plan for defending Italica. The roads leading to the city had been covered with ambushes to take out as much of the steam of the advancing bandits.

Proof of this was the distant sound of thunder and drums that the knights heard and, later when night had come, bright flashes of light in the distance. They had asked the officers of the recon teams if they had an inkling of what was happening. The answers they got mentioned and explained something about combined arms, foot soldiers and something called the tank. From the description, the Rose Order knights understood a tank was a monster of metal handled by four men that could carve a bloody trail on the battlefield.

The princess had a creeping sense of dread that slowly gripped her. She could sense no deceit when the outerworlders described their tools of death.

' _What kind of armies did I ask for aid?'_

It didn't help her that Rory had been squirming every now and then, generally when the distant sounds of the outworlders' weapons could be heard. The fact that every wall had been ordered to not light their torches unnerved the young royal. Looking at the Men in Green standing next to her and knights, Pina had noticed earlier that many had strange cylindrical objects installed on their helmets and that these devices were lowered in front of their eyes. A faint green glow could be seen coming from them. When asked, these were devices that allowed them to see at night. There was a nagging feeling that she heard of these before. Her thoughts were interrupted by one of the officers, the one named Foley yelling out clearly in his language.

The Men in Green raised their devices and others, pulled out strange devices from their armour. These objects were pointed towards the dark skies. Bright balls of light emerged from these and traveled in a dome like trajectory, gently falling back to the ground.

To Pina's shock, she could make out the silhouettes of armies bearing down on Italica through her binoculars. The next instants happened in slow motion. Ominous clicking sounds were heard as the Coalition soldiers readied their staffs while dull thumps were heard from behind her. Orders were yelled in guttural voices. The mass in front of the Eastern wall had stopped for a moment.

She could see the brief moment of surprise and absolute terror in the hordes before her. They engulfed in great fireballs which tore men apart. The bandits began rushing forward when Pina heard the barking sound of the thunder staffs beside her. Bright red lights came from these and streaked towards the enemy. Men were dying in droves as they rushed forward.

Armour, shields, and testudos were useless in the face of these weapons. Pina's dread was turning into absolute terror. This was what the Imperial Legions had faced at Arnus and in the other world. This was what had made the Allied Kingdoms break their vassalage to the Empire. Her hands shook as she lowered his binoculars to look at those on the walls beside her.

The Men in Green didn't seem to feel worried as their weapons poured death into the fields before them. If anything, these men had turned into golems, operating in cold, ruthless efficiency that operated their staffs with ease. The sound of metal hitting the ground could be heard as Pina noticed the same round metal cylinders falling from the thunder staffs. An enigma was resolved. It was what gave the enemy weapons' power.

The miniature ballistae were terrifying as the metal belts were eaten by the hungry weapons before being spat out in bright lights that tore through the ranks of the approaching hoards, still basked in the glow of the small suns that these men had invoked.

Looking towards her knights, she could see the horror on their faces. Hamilton had stopped watching and was now crying in terror while bracing herself on the battlements. Norma had gone pale, with his mouth agape and body shaking. Grey was staring blankly at the scene, the veteran having never seen killing being done with such impunity. Even the best catapults the Empire had couldn't match the range of these weapons. She suddenly heard giggling and saw Rory leaping into the maelstrom before them, hacking with great pleasure. Her halberd danced through the air, cutting men with ease yet it was not matched for the Coalition's weapons who were dropping more bandits than the apostle.

Daring to raise her binoculars again, Pina could see that the hordes kept charging and tripping over the bodies of the dead. She recognized the silhouette of trolls and ogres marching forward. Yelling was heard from her side and she looked at the source. She saw two of the Canadian soldiers readying what seemed to be a large tube. They yelled a series of commands before a great thunder was heard from the tube. Looking at where they were aiming, Pina saw a pile of burnt gore where one of the monsters once stood.

Roars came from the skies as well, catching the attention of Pina. Hollers of joy came from the Men in Green while the princess turned her eyes to the heavens. She saw a metal construct with the jaws of a monster on its face. A guttural, metal roar was heard and a bright stream of light came from the construct's mouth and onto the ranks of the bandit army. Great mounds of dirt were kicked and only bloodied chunks remained. Even larger blasts could be heard and seen as more of the otherworlders' metal birds flew over the thinning bandit hordes, larger fireballs erupted amongst them.

Here at Italica, in Pina's mind, was the ultimate expression of the Empire's impending doom at these outworlders' armies. She looked through her binoculars one last time at the bandit army. The glimmer of magical shields could be seen flickering as they collapsed beneath the power falling upon them, dooming those beneath them.

 **Outskirts of Italica** , **0600**

Men tripped on each other as they fled the battlefield. Italica had been a bloodbath. The accursed outworlders had taken the city from under their noses during the day prior.

Running from the fortress city, the bandits had passed the shattered wrecks of catapults and other siege engines. The sound of weapons being dropped was heard as they ran for the lives, no longer caring for the plunder and loot that Italica had promised.

As they fled away from Italica, loud rumblings were heard coming from the road ahead of them, just on the other side of a small hill. Great monsters of metal of various sizes crested the hill, pointing massive snouts at the fleeing bandits. Cries of panic were heard amongst the flocked of now terrified man. This was their doom after many months of war and bloodshed. In their minds, their luck had run out. A voice suddenly came from the creatures staring down at them.

"Surrender now and you'll be spared. Drop your weapons and armour!" commanded the voice, "Hands in the air! Hands in the air!"

The sound of swords, spears, and shields hitting the ground could be heard as the bandits dropped their weapons, preferring being taken prisoner than going through another ordeal like the massacre during the last night. The smaller metal creatures drove down the hill, towards the mass of surrendering men. As these monsters reached the crowds, soldiers began pouring out. Many carefully corralled the prisoners and began leading them towards Italica while others began securing the enemy's weapons.

 **Meanwhile, on the Eastern wall of Italica**

The Coalition troops were staring out at the fields before them. Daybreak had revealed the extent of the night's carnage as carrion birds began flocking above the bloodied countryside before the walls of Italica.

Teams had already begun to clean up the battlefield. It was no easy task as the ground was littered with the bodies of the dead while the sound of agony could be heard.

Pina and her knights were walking back to the Formal estate, shaken by the night's battle. They were escorted by Marines through the streets of Italica. Coalition troops were now patrolling the streets while the locals looked at them with awe and fear.

"Your Highness?"

The princess turned her head towards Hamilton. She could hear the people of Italica cheering at the Americans watching them.

"What do we do now? The Men in Green saved Italica, not us."

"There isn't much we can do," retorted dryly Norma, "Their magic and creatures are simply too powerful for us to fight. I do not wish to waste my life so futilely."

"I do not know what to do. The Men in Green are still our enemy holding Arnus Hill," sighed Pina, "They are already everywhere in the city and the people here love them. They could easily conquer this city without fighting and hold us as hostages for ransom."

Norma and Hamilton gasped at this declaration. Deep down, they knew it was a certainty but to hear it aloud was another thing.

Their musings were interrupted when one of the Marines cleared his throat.

"Excuse me your Highness," he addressed, "Major Allen wishes to meet with you."

Outside the walls of Italica, RCT 7 was helping with the cleanup effort. The conditions were appalling as bodies littered the ground in a bloody gory mess. For health reasons, everyone had put their gasmasks on. The team had reached the shattered remains of what appeared to be catapults.

 _'Oh merde,'_ mentally groaned Kinh at the sight he saw. Baskets filled with heads destined for Italica. Evidently, the artillery and their crews had been hit before they could launch their projectiles. The lieutenant struggled to hold his nausea down at the sight.

 _'Just when this world couldn't get nastier.'_

"Brisebois!" he shouted, "Pass the word that we've found... this." Kinh pointed the head filled baskets. The radio operator stood there in shock. He fumbled with his comm set before radioing out the scene

' _It's gonna be a fucking long day.'_

The sound of helicopters flying overhead was heard by the ground troops. In one of them sat Ronny and Eric. Both were staring at the carnage before them.

"Shit, what the fuck happened?!" exclaimed Ronny, "There's at least 5000 corpses down there."

"I don't think we should film this," gasped Eric, "This is too much for anyone to handle."

Ronny nodded.

"From what I heard," answered a Canadian sergeant, "Italica got attacked last night by rogue enemy troops and bandits. Turned into some kind of messed up Lord of the Rings siege battle only with one side having guns and the other having swords and shields."

The news crew didn't need to guess what had the result was.

 **Formal throne room, 0800**

Pina and her knights sighed in relief as they finished their meeting with Major Allen. It had gone surprisingly better than they thought despite the fact that Italica was under the Coalition's control for the time being. The American officer had orders from his generals that the city was to be occupied as a base and that all prisoners would be under their care. In exchange, they would be in charge of the wellbeing and security of Italica's people.

Pina had even proposed that she travel to Earth to meet the leaders of the Coalition and begin peace negotiations. This was met with a very positive answer from Major Allen who contacted his superiors to make arrangements. What surprised them however was the officer asking about slaves in Italica. However, Countess Myui had answered that her late father banned slavery in his city during his rule as he found it distasteful.

Yet there were still things that irritated them.

"What kind of ridiculousness is their Ge-nee-va convention?" grumbled Norma, "Why should murderers and thieves be allowed any mercy?"

Grey shook his head.

"Norma, there are times when you have to compromise. Here, we have no choice but to let the Men in Green have their way. They are far merciful than I have expected," stated the veteran knight, "Offering up aid like this and allowing peace negotiations with such enthusiasm is unusual for an enemy this powerful. I expected us to be taken prisoner and to be ransomed."

"I think that choosing to negotiate so quickly for them is because we are but a small nuisance," deduced Pina, "Their rulers are not even at Arnus! It only proves how we are an annoyance to them."

Hamilton suddenly frowned.

"Excuse me your Highness, but aren't we forgetting something?"

 **Eastern road to Italica, 0800**

The thunderous sound of hooves could be heard on the paved highway to Italica as Bozes and her detachment of a hundred Rose Order knights sped towards the city. Earlier, they had received news that the key city was under attack. The slowly rising smoke in the distance was not reassuring. Pushing her knights to go faster, Bozes desperately hoped that she wouldn't be too late.

"Bozes! Slow down!" cried out Panache, "Our horses will be useless if you tire them out before reaching Italica!"

"I'm sure our horses can take it!" snapped angrily Bozes, "Princess Pina and Italica on the other hand-"

Before she could finish her sentence however, a loud chopping sound could be heard from ahead. A large flying green chariot had appeared on the horizon followed by many others as well as metal pegasi. The lead knights gasped in surprise at the sound.

"The Otherworlders! They've taken Italica."

"We must retreat!" yelled out one of the other knights, "There are too few of us to anything! We must tell his Majesty of this disaster!"

A voice came from one of the flying chariots.

"Stand down immediately! We are from the JGSDF and are currently occupying Italica with our allies!"

Their worst fears had just been confirmed.

"Dismount your horses and drop your weapons immediately and no harm will be done to you!" commanded the voice. Bozes looked at the approaching swarm of flying chariots and metal pegasi with anger. Knowing she had no chance, she took a deep breath.

"Everyone drop your weapons," ordered Bozes. Many of her fellow knights looked at her in surprise but a stern glare reluctantly convinced them to do it. Meanwhile, the flying metal constructs were hovering above them. A sound from the road ahead signaled the arrival of more Men in Green.

A few dozen horseless carriages with black wheels arrived, their snouts pointing intently at the surrendering knights. They were taking up positions around them. As the last one stopped moving, dozens of soldiers poured out from many of the wagons with. It shocked the knights as they had expected to run into bandit rabble, not well organized and well-armed men that had come from Arnus.

"Which one of you is the leader here?" yelled out a man.

Bozes presumed that this man was a commander.

"I am Bozes Co Palesti, Captain of the Rose Order Knights!" answered as proudly as she could. Even if she had to surrender, she wanted to keep her dignity in front of these men.

"Greetings Captain Co Palesti," answered the man, "I am Sergeant Marc-Antoine Gilbert of the Royal 22e Régiment of Canada. What business do you have here?"

A mere sergeant and his footmen had just captured her group of noblewomen. It was utterly embarrassing for Bozes for her to be in such a situation.

"I do not answer to _lowly commoners_ such as you _,"_ replied dryly Bozes as she crossed her arms, "I will only answer to your lords!"

The sergeant looked rather annoyed more than anything. He turned to another one of his men and gave him an order in a language the noble couldn't understand.

"Excuse me Ma'am, but what do you think Royal fucking means?" shot back the sergeant, his grip tightening on his rifle, "I did recall clearly saying that we are from the Royal 22e Régiment of Canada."

There was an emphasis on the term "Royal" in the Canadian's answer and he hoped it would get through the stubborn knight's thick head.

' _Ostie, j'espère qu'elle catche le crisse de message.'_ mentally complained the sergeant,' _Ça va rendre ma job plus facile.'_ (Goddammit, I hope she gets the message, it'll make my job easier."

Bozes' eyes went wide.

"R-rroyal?"

"I believe that is what I said," said the sergeant with a small grin appearing on his face. "Now I strongly suggest you change your tone Ma'am."

 **Formal throne room, 0810**

Pina and her companions were still talking about the situation when Major Allen came into the throne room.

"Excuse me your Highness, but there are a group of knights led by a Captain Bozes Co Palesti that have arrived on the Eastern road," explained the officer, "They refuse to cooperate with us and are making things a bit difficult."

Pina gulped. This incident was all it took for the truce that the Empire had with the Coalition break down.

"Major Allen, may I go aid in resolving this situation?" urgently asked Pina.

"I'd thought you'd never ask your Highness," answered the major, "I'll take you to one of our helicopters."

The officer immediately comm'ed for one of the helicopters to ready for takeoff. Before long, Pina and Major Allen as well as a group of Marines were heading to the helicopter waiting for them in Formal Mansion's courtyard.

 **Eastern road to Italica, 0830**

Despite her protests (she refused to beg as it was below her stature), Bozes couldn't get any answers out of the insolent Canadian sergeant or his men. After her little show earlier, Sergeant Gilbert told her that if she wanted any information, she would have to wait for his superiors. The assembled soldiers had already confiscated her knights' weapons.

"I am telling you _sergeant_ that I am a noblewoman of the House of Palesti. I demand the respect that my birth deserves," complained Bozes, "Let me and my knights ride to Italica or answer my questions."

She was met with an annoyed grunt and glare from the man.

"I've told you before to wait Ma'am! My superiors will be here soon."

"You will address me with the appropriate title that befits my rank!" demanded hotly Bozes, "Unlike you, I am not some lowly, unwashed peasant!"

"We are not Imperial subjects. Don't expect us to follow your orders as if we were your soldiers!" retorted the irritated sergeant, "You are currently in our custody until the situation changes!"

' _Crisse de bitch',_ mentally swore the man. He was getting a headache from the verbal spat with the spoiled knight.

"CUSTODY!" yelled Bozes, "Even if you are holding us hostage, there is a code to be respected when taking noble prisoners unlike when taking common rabble prisoner," snarled the woman.

"Those are your rules ma'am, not ours," answered sarcastically the sergeant, "We treat all our captives the same way, noble or regular folk. Don't expect any special treatment because of your birth."

Bozes wanted to step forward and strike the man for his arrogance. A quick look at the few dozen soldiers guarding her made calm down. They didn't outnumber her but they had weapons unlike them. If the stories were true, these were more powerful than anything the Empire had. The sound of a flying chariot could be heard, the others having left earlier.

She saw the construct land. In it were more otherworlders and a familiar red haired figure with a commanding aura and a displeased scowl on her face.

"Your Highness!" exclaimed Bozes, "What is happening? Are you are held hostage by the outworlders?!"

"No, Bozes, there is much to explain and little time," answered sternly Pina, "I order you to cooperate with these men. They will escort you to Italica where we'll discuss more about this situation."

"Your Highness?!"

A death stare from Pina shut off any complaint the blond knight had.

 **Pina's quarters, Formal Mansion, 0900**

Bozes was standing in front of Pina, the princess having sat down. Her arms were crossed while a scowl graced her features.

"Bozes, you are lucky that the Men in Green are merciful," explained Pina, "Italica still stands because of their arrival yesterday. Despite being a fraction of the enemy's size, they have been able to destroy the bandits with extreme ease."

"H-how many were there?" stammered the blond knight.

"According to Major Allen, over 9000 and many lay dead before the city's walls," coldly replied Pina, "Along with Grey, Norma and Hamilton, I have witnessed what they can do with their weapons. We must make peace if the Saderan Empire is to survive!"

Bozes gasped. How powerful were these men?

"They have decided to take Italica under their charge and ensure protection for its people as well as Clan Formal. I've also negotiated a truce between us and this Coalition. One that you've possibly endangered with your actions and arrogance."

"Your Highness, I had no idea! May you forgive me for this?"

"I've also made arrangement to meet with their leaders at Alnus and in their world. Perhaps you would like to come and apologize to them for your transgressions?"

Bozes gasped.

"Of course your Highness!"

"You will also accompany me in the negotiations there."

Pina was met with a polite nod of her friend's head. A light knock came on the door. The princess ordered them to enter. It was one of the Formal's maids. A redhaired Vera woman.

"Your Highness, Countess Myui has invited you and your knights to breakfast with her. She has also invited the first soldiers that arrived yesterday at Italica as well as Major Allen and his staff."

"Foley, Huynh and Itami's men?" asked the princess.

"Yes, I think so. She wishes to thank them for bringing their help to defend Italica."

"Very well, tell her I won't be long."

 **Formal Mansion Dining Room, 1000**

A loud sneeze could be heard followed by an annoyed grunt.

' _Fucking shit, does the countess have a cat person working for her or something?'_ mentally groaned Kinh as he shrugged.

"You okay man?" asked a chuckling Jimmy.

"Yeah, real funny. Fucking allergies I think."

The two officers and their men as well as Itami's were sitting at a banquet table. Kinh could recognize an American major next to Countess Myui. They were waiting for Princess Pina's knights to arrive.

The door swung open and revealed the Rose Order Knights. Clad in their elegant armour, they were guided to their seats by some of their maids. The Coalition troops recognized the various species that made up Clan Formal's household servants. To Kinh's chagrin and annoyance, one of them was a cat woman.

As soon as they were installed, the maids headed back to the kitchen to pick up the food. Rapidly, the familiar smell of cooked meat and freshly baked bread filled the banquet room as the maids brought in trays of food.

After the food was served, Countess Myui stood up and cleared her throat. Looking at the gathered Coalition troops, she began to speak with simple but practiced lines.

"I wish to thank you and the rest of your army for aiding us in our time of need," she proclaimed, "Without you, Italica would have fallen to the bandits and Clan Formal no more. Please enjoy this food as a token of our gratitude."

A round of applause and thanks from the gathered men was heard before the meal started. It was a rather sumptuous meal. A question still bugged Pina though.

"Excuse me, Major Allen?" she asked, "Why did you ask about slaves earlier?"

He lifted his eyes from his plate.

"Your Highness," he answered sternly, "When the Saderan Empire started this war, it was by an attack through the Gate of Arnus Hill. That attack is known as the Ginza incident where your armies attacked the citizens of Japan in Ginza, a part of its capital, Tokyo. During the battle, many people of Japan as well as travelers from other nations of our world were killed or injured by your soldiers while others were taken as spoils of war. We are still trying to find those captives and return them to their families."

"Is that not normal in your world?" asked Norma, "To take the enemy's people as trophies?"

He was met with an icy stare from many of the Coalition soldiers at the table before Major Allen continued his explanation. The Canadians in particular seemed angriest as their gaze was bone chilling to the royals. The sound of clenched fists hitting tables rang through the banquet. Despite the coldness in his voice, the older man stayed polite.

"No, it is considered brutish and backwards. Such an act is seen as the mark of a barbaric nation. Slavery is outlawed in all of the civilised nations of our world."

The Imperials looked in shock. They had never heard the Saderan Empire being called barbaric and backwards? If anything, they were the ones bringing civilisation and order to Falmart, not the other way around.

The sound of a throat being cleared was heard.

"Excuse me Major Allen," asked Kinh, "May I say something to the Imperials?"

"Yes, you may Lieutenant."

"Your army, when it attacked our world also destroyed a building in Tokyo that belong to my country of Canada. That building, an embassy, is a place, amongst other things, that people can use as a safe haven," started very calmly the Canadian lieutenant. He had leaned forward on the banquet table and was staring into the eyes of everyone of the Rose Order Knights.

"Inside that embassy were countless innocent Canadian citizens that were in Japan. Their deaths and capture are amongst the reason why the good people of Canada demanded that our army was to fight the Empire!" His voice had risen steadily and to punctuate his sentence, he banged his fist on the table. "To give you an idea, the very notion that you have slavery here has made it back to our people on Earth and their outrage has only made our countries more determined to continue this war."

There was an awkward silence at the table for a few minutes. The countess decided to ask another question as everyone finished eating.

"I wish to know if everyone has enjoyed their meal. My clan prides itself on its hospitality and I hope that you have not found us wanting."

"Well, my troops have enjoyed your food," replied Itami with a smile, "I think the same can be said for everyone else."

"Very good food Countess," replied Major Allen, "My men appreciate it."

"Your hospitality is very welcomed by my men," added Kinh, "Perhaps after all of this is over, our nations might repay the debt."

The countess giggled.

"Thank you, I would very much like to visit your countries once this is done," replied the child.

 **Eastern Gate, Italica, 1115**

Pina and Bozes were standing in front of the Formal's mansion. The ever-more familiar sound of what the Coalition called vehicles was heard approaching the entrance. Some of the maids as well as Countess Myui were standing behind the two knights to watch the scene.

As the vehicles drew closer and came to a halt, one of them stopped in front of the two royals. The doors opened on one of them, revealing Itami and his group of JSDF troops as well as the three girls that accompanied them. The Japanese officer waved at them before telling them to get on.

As Pina sat down, a thought went through her mind.

 _'For Sadera, let us hope their rulers are merciful.'_

The jeep's engine came to life while Pina took a deep breath. The Empire's fate was now on her shoulders. Whatever would happen at Alnus, she was ready to do what was necessary to save her people.

 **A/N**

 **And that ends the siege of Italica!**

 **I chose have the Coalition troops showing much earlier as, in my opinion, the way Italica was fought in the original series didn't make sense. Who in their sane mind who let their troops being ordered around by an enemy leader? Who would risk getting Italica overrun because it didn't have enough men to defend it while waiting for reinforcements to make a show? Bad dramatic writing IMO.**

 **It didn't sit well with me to have the battle play out like that so I reworked Italica with an actual smartly thought out defense that used every advantage that the Coalition has in terms of superior firepower and technology.**

 **It had the added benefits of making it easier to write in the Imperial POV.**

 **Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm already working on chapter 11.**


	12. Chapter 11: On the way to Tokyo

**Author's note and disclaimer**

 **As always, GATE, its characters and the real word organizations don't belong to me. They belong to their respective owners. Same with Sgt. Steven Grey Ryan, President James Kelly Grey (F-14 Tomcat), Lieutenant Jack Johnson (TheCanadianPatriot), Ronny Marinin(The Tundra Fox), the M1A1 Here We Go Again (Faust1812) and Private Wade Nilsson (MandaloreTheFreedom).** **Only my OC's belong to me.**

 **Sorry about the complete lack of update in over a year. My muse more or less died out for this fic and Gate in general. I can't really promise anymore updates for the time being. My master's degree has eaten up most of my time and my muse went over to other series, namely Sword Art Online and High School Fleet. I'm currently co-writing fics with a chap named SirStonewall. Go read our stuff!**

 **Luckily, I managed to get enough motivation to finish off this chapter. Hope you all enjoy it. I have a few ideas for where the rest of the fic'll go. Keep an eye out just in case my muse comes back in full strength.**

 **I also have a few ideas for GATE fics running in my head. One is a "what if" scenario featuring an Imperial POV. Instead of opening in Tokyo, the Gate appears in Montreal, Quebec... in the middle of winter when the temperature is -40°c... and it would be a one-shot aptly named "The City of Ice".**

 **The other is something that would a few months after the hypothetical ending I have planned for Van Doos. It would be called "Gate: Thus we Stopped the Nazis Again". I'll let your imaginations run on that.**

 **Finally, the last idea is a crossover fic with Familiar of Zero. Taking place shortly after Queen Henrietta is crowned, a Gate appears in Tristain's capital and connects to Montreal. Rather than starting a war, Tristain, Canada and the United States enter diplomatic relations... only to be interrupted by an attack from Reconquista dragging the North American nations into another war...**

 **Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!**

 _Chapter 11: On the way to Tokyo_

 **General Hazama's office, FOB Arnus, 1200, June 6th**

Sitting in General Hazama's office, King Duran wondered what was happening. During the past night, he had been awakened by the sound of Coalition aircraft taking off in large numbers while earlier in the morning, he saw large convoys of heavily armed troops and their support leaving Arnus. Ha had finally gotten some restless sleep, his mind racing with possibilities. Had the Imperial Capital fallen to the Coalition? It would not have been impossible given what he had seen.

Something was happening but that was not the end of it. Fifteen minutes ago, a Japanese staff officer came to his room and picked him up, explaining that General Hazama urgently wanted to meet with him concerning a situation that had developed in the past evening.

The door opened, revealing a rather tired Hazama. Greetings were quickly exchanged between the two leaders.

"What has happened?" asked King Duran curiously. He noted how the Japanese general's office was rather neat and well organized. A few scattered piles of papers here and there indicated that the man was busy with other affairs. Nothing stood out in terms of personal belongings save for a small picture of a woman and two children.

"Yesterday, some of our men arrived at the city of Italica," explained the general, "They found it under a large scale attack by bandits. We've estimated 9000 hostiles."

"Italica?" wondered the Elbian ruler while running his hand through his beard, "That city is one of the most important ones that the Empire has. The area around it is one of the safer ones. "

 _'Had the situation gotten so bad for the Empire? 9000 rogue men attacking a key trade hub.'_

"As you may have already known your Majesty," stated Hazama, "Many soldiers of the Allied Kingdoms have gone rogue after the battles and many were engaged at Italica."

Duran let out a weary sigh.

 _'More fathers not returning to their homes._ '

He mentally cursed Molt for the whole war and the devastation it had brought to Falmart.

"As was expected, most are dead. We have taken many prisoners but we've managed to start negotiations with a member of the Saderan Household."

Duran's eyebrow shot up in curiosity. He had trouble imagining anyone in Molt's family capable of negotiating.

"Who? Crown Prince Zorzal or Prince Diablo?" asked the surprised Elbian monarch. "I personally have trouble imagining any of those two discussing treaties... especially Prince Zorzal. He is a brutish thug and an dishonest snake! As for Diablo, he's a little coward more preoccupied with bedding cheap wenches with his share of the Imperial Treasury!"

' _Though Zorzal isn't any better...'_

Hazama took notes of Duran's declarations and shook his head.

"Neither them, our forces have met Princess Pina Co Lada in Italica," stated the general, "She appears to be of good faith."

The king shook his head in disbelief.

"No, General Hazama. Princess Pina is little more than a mere child that has seen too many plays about warrior princesses and leads a group of naive noblewomen. She is fifth in the Imperial succession despite being Molt's third child. A daughter born from a lowly concubine might I add!"

For Duran, this was an absolute farce on behalf of Pina's part that bordered on usurpation. Hazama on the other hand, stood up before walking over to the window. Turning back to the elderly ruler, the general began to speak.

"The fact that she has chosen to come and attempt peace negotiations means that I must give her a chance to prove herself. A small chance of ending this conflict quicker and bringing peace to both our worlds is one I must take," replied Hazama, "It is part of my orders."

"You will not gain much from Princess Pina as she is very low ranking and has little influence in the Saderan Imperial Court," stated Duran.

"I will give her a chance," stated Hazama, "It is better that I try every possible avenue in order to finish this war without too much needless bloodshed."

 **Road to Arnus Hill, 1215**

Pina and Bozes could seldom believe what they were witnessing. The trip from Italica had gone by quickly and rather comfortably despite the vehicle's speed. That alone was mindboggling for them.

They witnessed a proud military display before them. In the skies, wings of Coalition fighters flew in perfect formation at high altitude while combat helicopters formed alongside the convoy.

As they advanced on the road, loud booms were heard. Looking out the window, the two young nobles saw great horseless tan iron chariots rolling in formation. From their snouts, they spat great fireballs at targets around them while footmen manoeuvred alongside.

"Wha-what are those?" asked a wide-eyed Bozes, "How can they have such constructs!?"

Pina's mind raced at this. ' _Were these the metal monsters that they talked off the other day?'_ She got her answer from one of the Japanese soldiers.

"That would be the tanks," explained Tomita, "These are from Lieutenant Foley's country though ours and the Canadians have also sent many here."

The nobles gulped as they saw more soldiers and metal creatures exercising what they assumed to be various combat drills. This demonstration awed Bozes while at the same time confirmed the princess' worst fears. The Empire was utterly outmatched and she knew it. The young royal could only hope that she find a way to save her people.

Pina looked at Lelei with despair. The princess knew that this war was one of revenge.

"Have the Imperial Legions down such terrible damage to their world that they seek such brutal vengeance?"

The emotionless mage's unblinking eyes started at Pina.

"I do not know how much damage your armies did to To-kyo, the capital of Japan."

Pina's mind jumpstarted. If the Empire attacked an enemy capital, had many of the nobles of Japan been harmed during the assault? That could explain why they had struck back with such might. That could explain the large presence of the other two nations, Canada and the United States. Had some of their great families fallen victim to the Empire's attack? A thought hit Pina and she tensed up.

 _'How many of the slaves brought back from the initial Gate expedition were part of their nobility?'_

The implications of such a situation could only spell more strong handed negotiations. Bozes had sensed her superior and friend's change of mood.

"What is bothering you your Highness?" she asked. The captain tried to appear strong but Pina could see that Bozes was afraid.

Itami's voice rang out from the front of the jeep causing the royals to turn their attention to him and the road ahead. Both were leaning towards Itami.

"Excuse me everybody, but we've made it to Alnus town!"

"Town?" asked Pina with a raised eyebrow, "There is no village anywhere near-"

"Your Highness!" exclaimed Bozes, "Look!"

The knight was pointing at a fork in the road that led to a bustling town of sturdy wooden buildings that was quickly growing closer. The two royals were stunned.

"Wh-when was this town built?!" asked Pina.

"After the battles against the Empire and its allies, we were sent out to scout the areas around the hill and find our way around. We found out that many villages were attacked and destroyed by deserters and bandits," explained Itami proudly, "We built this town to help the people displaced by the war as well as making sure that the other villages and towns were safe."

For Pina, it was a slap in the face. The Empire couldn't even protect its own people against enemies that were on their level. Instead, the enemy was the one that took over that task. It was humiliating for her as a member of the Imperial household.

Itami continued talking however. He took on a more serious tone

"We also ran into your legions that were scorching the earth. Sometimes, we were able to save the villages and sometimes, we were too late and arrived when the people were about to leave their burning homes."

Pina sat down in her seat, deep in thought.

' _Everything we have done against this Coalition has only made them stronger. We have driven our people into their very arms.'_

The convoy bypassed the town, heading directly to Arnus Hill and began driving uphill. The princess could see what had become of the hill. On the flanks of the hill, intricate networks of trenches had been dug but the most impressive was the massive fortress atop the hill.

The two royals had never seen anything like it. The great walls were made of a strange grey material. Rather than being vertical like the great walls of Sadera, they were angled and didn't form a square but rather, it was a star shaped fortress.

After reaching the main gate, the convoy split up and headed in different directions. Itami's group however, stopped their trip in front of the Coalition's headquarters.

As everyone disembarked, Pina and Bozes started to take in their surroundings in their enemies' redoubt. The buildings around them were simple. Grey walls that formed rectangles and were dotted by many glass windows. They lacked the elegance of the palaces of the Imperial capital, trading architectural beauty for stark utilitarian lines. Despite this, the glass windows stood out. Generally, they were reserved for the wealthy families of the Empire as they were expensive to make. Here, the Coalition had then on every building of a military installation.

The two Imperial delegates could see a red carpet at their feet. Meanwhile, Itami had been talking to an American Marine. He finally turned back to the VIP's with the Marine walking towards them. Pina deduced that they belonged to the same warrior order as Lieutenant Foley as they wore the same uniforms but looked cleaner. The man introduced himself quickly and stated that he had orders to escort her and Bozes to meet with the commanders of the Coalition. He also instructed his Japanese counterpart to tell Lelei to join them to serve as translator.

The two royals and Lelei were then led into the headquarters' main building while Itami and his group left for another part of the base. As they were led throughout the hallways and stairs, Pina and Bozes could see men and women working at small offices that were filled with light despite not having windows. The blond knight tugged on her princess' sleeve.

"Your Highness," whispered Bozes, "There are so many women here."

"Perhaps their world is more tolerant towards woman in their armies?" deduced Pina, "The way their weapons work make it easy for anyone to fight. So woman can join their armies as well."

This worried Pina. If woman were serving as warriors alongside the men, were those of high birth still married off to foreign kings and princes to seal political deals? Perhaps these women were noblewomen who had the right to fight alongside their men? Her thoughts were interrupted by Lelei. By now, they were standing in front of a door with the Marines having taken up positions on their sides.

"Excuse me your Highnesses but we have arrived at the meeting room," droned Lelei, "The Coalition's commanders are waiting for you."

Pina mentally braced herself as she imagined the kind of lords that led the outworlders. Men that probably oozed with arrogance and contempt. The princess prepared to grovel at their feet, perhaps offer her body to save the Empire and its people. As the door opened however, she stunned at the men before her.

The three war leaders looked to be in their 40's with very different complexions and what Pina assumed to be dress uniforms. Their elegant clothes were covered with medals. Most importantly, they appeared to be disciplined and intelligent. The center one with a skin tone similar to Itami and Huynh began speaking.

 _'This must the man from Japan, the liege nation',_ deduced Pina, ' _He looks far more modest than I expected. Why does he have fewer medals?'_

"Greetings your Highnesses, I am General Koichiro Hazama of the JGSDF and these are my colleagues." He first pointed to a dark skinned man on his right. "This is Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Hancock of the United States Marine Corps."

"I am pleased to meet you your Highnesses."

There was a steely professionalism in his voice, one that Pina had rarely heard save for warriors of a high caliber such as Grey. He seemed to have the same confidence that she had seen in Lieutenant Foley when he led his men at Italica against the bandits.

The Japanese general then pointed to another man sitting on his left. This man had black hair, a pale complexion, and behind simple glasses, in Pina's mind, the warmest blue eyes she had ever seen.

"This is my colleague, General Francis Maxwell of the Canadian Forces."

"It is an honour to meet you Princess Pina and Captain Co Palesti."

Here, unlike the meeting at Italica with the three lieutenants, it appeared that the liege nation was spearheading the talks rather than the vassals.

"The pleasure is ours General."

"As pleasant as this is, why have Imperial leaders come to our base to discuss with us?" asked warily General Hazama.

"I wish to broker peace between the Saderan Empire and your Coalition," declared Pina, "This war has gone for far too long for my people."

"I understand."

Bozes then cut in. She swallowed nervously and was blushing before she started talking.

"As a token of good will, I wish to apologize for the incident that happened earlier as well as doing what is necessary to make amends. I had no idea that the Empire had a truce with you. I hope that this will not cause problem in the peace negociations."

Her voice had an apologetic tone to it while her head bowed. She dared not meet the eyes of the enemy.

"On behalf of my men," answered General Maxwell, "I accept your apologies. There was no harm done to any of my soldiers and I can understand communication errors Captain."

Bozes' eyebrows shot up in surprise and she barely managed to suppress a gasp.

"Th-thank you very much!"

"Now that we've settled that, I must inform you that we've discussed with King Duran," said Lt.-Col. Hancock.

Pina was slightly taken aback by this new information. She had not expected him to be alive. The rumours that had circulated around the Elbian monarch was that he had died at Alnus...

' _Of course, those news did come from the court of Perragon...'_

"What did he have to say?"

"Your Highness, I must be honest," stated gravely Hazama, "King Duran has told us of your position in the Imperial succession line."

Pina's eyes widened as she blanched. There was no way that she would be able to lead any negotiation efforts now... and she knew just what kind of men the Empire would send instead to. Images of haughty men mocking the Coalition's diplomats and aggravating the situation. The Imperial diplomats being sent back in pieces while the enemy's army marching on Sadera.

"Pl-please give me a chance to prove to you what I can do," she pleaded, "I promise you that you will not find me wanting."

Hancock smiled before nodding his head.

"After discussing with our leaders earlier today," explained the senior officer, "They are willing to give a chance to anyone high in the Imperial nobility to help with peace negotiations."

Pina almost leapt out of her seat in belated joy while Bozes had a small smile and tears of hope in her eyes.

"Th-thank you very much," almost shouted Pina. She took a moment to recompose herself as she remembered her etiquette lessons.

"I must thank you on behalf of my people."

She was met with kind nods and smiles.

"We are happy to know that there are leaders in the Empire who wish for peace," replied General Hazama.

A thought flashed through Pina's mind.

"Would it possible for us to meet with any of your kings and princes?" she asked seriously. This could be an opportunity for her to marry into their royal families and secure peace... perhaps even more.

The three men hid their amusement at this and General Hazama was first to speak.

"Your Highness," he explained with as little condescendence as possible in his voice, " Japan's royalty has not taken to the field in over a thousand years. Our world's kings and princes rarely go to war today."

Hancock added an explanation.

"My nation has no king ruling over it. America got rid of the idea of royalty a long time ago."

There was strong pride in his voice. Pina could seldom believe what he said.

"What about Ca-na-da?" she asked with a hint of nervousness.

"Our situation is somewhat more complex," stated General Maxwell, "Technically, Queen Elizabeth II is Canada's sovereign though she does not use her powers in our country's affairs."

The general paused briefly before looking at his colleagues.

"Perhaps we could have something made to inform them about how our government works."

Hazama nodded before writing it down. The Japanese general turned back his attention to Pina.

"Your Highness, once you reach our world, you are to meet in private negotiations with representatives from our government along with ambassadors from the United States and Canada," Hazama explained, "As I have mentioned earlier, our governments are aiming to end this war. We wish to avoid needless bloodshed and we want to end this war quickly and peacefully if possible."

The princess and her captain were deeply relieved at hearing this. It meant that they had a chance of saving their people and country from destruction.

"We share the same wish General Hazama," Pina declared.

 **Major Parent's office**

"From what you are telling me Lieutenant Huynh," said Major Parent with an exasperated tone, "Is more proof of Rory Mercury's bloodthirstiness."

"Yes sir that is correct. She literally leapt from the Eastern wall before engaging the enemy in melee combat."

Both men were seated at the major's desk. Behind them, the door was closed while the windows' curtains had been pulled. A steaming mug of fresh coffee was lying next to a pile of reports from the latest battles that the Van Doos had fought. The files were scattered all over the desk. The major had dark circles under his eyes.

"Nothing new then," sighed the older man, "Now that we've talked about that, you remember the Diet summons?"

Kinh tensed up slightly in his seat and nodded.

"Yes sir," he answered flatly.

While he relished the prospect of being back on Earth, the lieutenant didn't enjoy the fact that he had to deal with opportunist politicians.

"I don't know if you've followed the situation back home?" asked Major Parent.

"Only with a distracted eye honestly."

With all the demands of military service, the normally well informed Kinh had trouble keeping with the developments on Earth despite his chats with Marie. He had gleaned that Trudeau had kept his majority in Parliament but had remained disconnected from the rest.

"Most of Canada is supportive of our efforts here in Falmart with high approval ratings as you may know. The same goes for our old friends on the south side of the border."

"But there's a but sir," interrupted Kinh.

"Yes Lieutenant, the Japanese citizens aren't as motivated as us to continue the campaign despite everything that's happened. The dragon incident, in some people's minds, is proof that the Coalition can't handle operations here and some groups want all of us out."

Kinh rolled his eyes in annoyance at this before letting out an annoyed grunt.

 _'Do the Japanese people really think that the military have some kind of protocol against a fucking dragon. Oh wait... probably due because of all the Godzilla movies."_

"Well sir, if you have anything I can read up before, I'll take it."

The older officer opened a drawer before withdrawing a folder and handing it to Kinh. He briefly opened it and perused it quickly before closing it again.

"Thank you sir, I'll make sure to read this as soon as possible." said the Lieutenant as he left the room.

 _'As soon as I finished the reports for Italica,'_ mentallyshrugged Kinh. He groaned at the paperwork that waited him.

 **Imperial Planning Room, Imperial Palace, 1400**

A tall blond man scowled at the reports he was reading. A crown adorned his forehead while luxurious red clothes covered him. His red eyes narrowed in anger. Meanwhile, his subordinates looked at him nervously. Some wore robes while others had donned their battle armour.

He looked up from his parchments to his nearest advisor.

"I do not suppose you have any good news to tell me," growled Crown Prince Zorzal with his infamous scowl covering his face. The man before gulped before starting his reports.

"It appears that Princess Pina has been surprisingly successful in evacuating Alnus province and preventing the enemy from enslaving. However, her forces are stretched thin fighting and if the Outworlders attack, she'll be unable to keep them in check."

A thin smile appeared on Zorzal's face as his mind processed this information.

' _Let us hope the enemy attacks then. One less rival for the throne.'_

"What of the rebuilding of the legions?"

"I'm afraid that the losses on the other side of the Gate and in the battles in Alnus province have taken worst tolls than we thought," answered one of his assistants, "With so many and with many vassals having cast their lot with the enemy, we are spread thinly."

"If only we could the dead to fight again," sighed another one of Zorzal's assistants. A brief glint went through the Saderan heir's mind.

"Tell me," asked Zorzal with a wicked smile, "Have we spoken to the mages of Rondel about this war?"

 **Meanwhile in Alnus, Canadian Officer's quarters**

Lieutenant Huynh was looking over his dress uniform. It was a simple but elegant design with few decorations and insignia on it. This was his first combat deployment after all. The shoes had been carefully polished as well. Kinh was also making a mental list of arguments he'd have to face in front of the Diet summons. He quickly remembered the instructions that Major Parent had given him as well, the words echoing in his mind.

' _The VIP's have been told that they can ask certain questions about our world. We will give them brochures that'll explain the basics once you reach Tokyo but you'll have to answer with the best of your abilities until then. Another thing Lieutenant Huynh... they are not academics so keep it simple!'_

It surprised him that the Japanese government had decided to have junior officers appear in front of a committee about the Coalition's campaign in Falmart along with UN officials taking part. As far as he remembered, the Canadian government had never done anything similar with their involvement in Afghanistan. Surprisingly, the Canadian government had sent representatives . He briefly remembered that one of his old bosses from his summer job was a grizzled, short tempered Afghanistan vet.

' _Wonder what happened to old Gauthier huh.'_

He turned towards his room's window. It was getting close to sundown. He remembered that at this time of the year, Marie would be wrapping up her classes and exams while he was firing up his barbecue. Friends would be over at their place enjoying the warming weather.

 _'Let's hope this ends soon... it's almost been a year since I left home.'_ he mused as he adjusted his tie and left the room. After walking through the busy hallways of the Canadian officers' barracks and the various yards filled with Coalition personnel bustling around for their next missions or tasks, Kinh finally arrived at the bus waiting for him.

Waiting for him was Itami and Jimmy as well as two members from RCT3, Kuribayashi and Tomita. All of them were wearing their respective dress uniforms. The JGSDF personnel had ones that were simple and somewhat similar in style to the Canadian ones. They wore berets and had few insignias on them as well.

As for Jimmy, he was dressed in Service Alphas while he stood there waiting. To kill time, he was playing a game on his cellphone.

"So where's everyone else?" asked the Canadian as he approached the other troops, "Aren't we bringing along the locals as well?"

"Yup, the Royals were getting a tour of the base," explained Jimmy as he took his eyes off his game, "One big dog and pony. They should be done soon."

"Good enough for me," answered Kinh, "At least I'm not the one doing it."

Jimmy merely rolled his eyes at this while Itami silently agreed. The Canadian just got too enthusiastic about explaining _anything_.

"Kinh man," he groaned, "You'd have given them a fucking 5 hour monologue about the invention of the toilet or about that summer job you had."

"Va chier man." Kinh replied as he raised his middle finger, "I'd have been super relevant. The joys of being a historian."

As the two were arguing with each other about what would happen if the Canadian ever gave a tour to anyone from Falmart, Itami noticed a group of people walking towards them.

Dressed in their blue and yellow robes, Pina and Bozes were being led towards the bus by a dozen guards drawn from the three nations' armies. They did their best to hide their emotions after such a day but it showed in their eyes. The sights and sounds of the Coalition base was overwhelming to them. It boggled their mind that man could build such things so quickly.

Upon seeing them, both Kinh and Jimmy stiffened up. After all, they were representing their countries in front of the two nobles and didn't want to look bad. The Canadian bowed his head in respect before clearing his throat while his American counterpart followed suit.

"Good day to you your Highness," politely greeted Kinh, "How has your visit of our base gone?"

"Thank you Lieutenant Huynh," Pina answered regally, her etiquette lessons kicking in. She did her best to hide her awe at today's sights. The Coalition's stronghold was unlike anything she saw. Even the mightiest Saderan fort was a small child's mud castle compared to this and it had taken less than a year to be set up.

Jimmy was talking with the man leading the guard. They saluted before the Marine turned back to the assembled nobles and Coalition personnel.

"Our transport should be here soon," he said in English, "There's also going to be a medic waiting on the other side if anyone from Falmart gets sick or anything."

"Understandable," replied Kinh. At the time, Lelei was translating what Jimmy had said. The girls had looks of confusion on their faces.

"Lieutenants, why would we get sick?" Bozes asked curiously. Kinh was about to answer but Jimmy cut him off.

"Our leaders are merely taking precautions," he explained, "In case if there's something that in our air that might affect you."

"They want to ensure your comfort and well-being before they start discussing with you," added Kinh with a smile, "This is the first time such an event happens for us so our leadership wants to ensure that everything is done right. You are nobles after all."

The rumbling of a large bus interrupted them.

"Well our transport's here," stated Itami enthusiastically. The prospect of being inside a comfortable ride appealed to the man. His dress uniform was getting rather hot and the feeling seemed to be shared by their colleagues. The Coalition officers led the Falmart guests to the bus. Most were wide-eyed at the horseless wagon before them except for Rory who looked bored.

The royals were led to the bus by the Coalition officers. Everyone enjoyed the cooler temperature inside with those wearing service uniforms blowing small sighs of relief. The various passengers took up different places inside the bus.

Kinh had taken the rear most seat of the group while Jimmy and Itami along Tomita and Kuribayashi were at the front. In the middle sat the Special Region guests. Itami cleared his throat before speaking.

"All right, as a gesture of goodwill from our leaders, we've been told to answer any questions you may have about our world so that you can come to a better understanding of Japan, the United States and Canada."

The Marine mentally groaned. He wanted some sleep on the drive to Tokyo. He caught a glimpse of Kinh. The man just looked too enthusiastic for his own good though Jimmy hoped that his Canadian friend would talk enough so that he didn't have to.

Pina timidly raised her hand.

"How do your countries work with no royalty in power? Especially the US?"

It was a simple question but for the young princess, it meant a lot.

"You want me to answer or..." asked Kinh.

As much as Jimmy wanted to shove the responsibility to someone else, it was _**his**_ country that was being asked about. He certainly didn't some maple syrup drinking Canuck messing up his country's history.

"Well your Highness, the United States rebelled against a tyrant over 200 years ago that ruled over us from a distant land," he explained, "In doing so, my nation established a system where the common man chooses who will lead him but also one where no one can have complete power over the United States and its people. Our courts of justice, our Congress and our President are dependent on each other for power. This ensures that no tyrant can take easily take over."

Bozes and Pina looked surprised. A nation this powerful was run by a man chosen by commoners? But they remembered that Japan and Canada had monarchs that were mentioned by their generals.

"The United States is a union of 50 different states and multiple smaller territories with their own local leadership."

"But what about Japan and Canada?" asked Bozes, "Generals Hazama and Maxwell mentioned their emperors and queens."

Before Kinh could put in a word, Jimmy quickly spoke up.

"Hey Itami, think you and your troops can explain Japan's political system?"

Itami didn't seem pleased but luckily, Tomita decided to speak instead.

"Japan has an Emperor but he's been more or less a figurehead for most our history," stated the man, "He does have special powers but is happy letting the Diet and the Prime Minister run every day things."

"Diet?" asked Pina

"Our senate your Highness," said Kuribayashi, "The members of our Diet and our Prime Minister are chosen by the people of Japan as well."

For the nobles, these two nations had some surprisingly similar systems to the Empire. But their royalty not exercising their power? It was unheard of.

"But what about Canada?" said Bozes, "One of your soldiers said that he was from a Royal regiment."

There was a massive, overenthusiastic grin on Kinh's face.

"Ahh allow me to explain!" exclaimed the Canadian with gusto, "Canada is part of what is called the Commonwealth. It is a union of nations that formerly belonged to the British Empire."

"British Empire?" wondered Pina.

"It used to be a powerful empire centered around a country named Great Britain but it had to let go of many of its territories because it risked collapse," explained Kinh with enthusiasm, "Its royal family still has ceremonial powers over those countries which include Canada. For almost 90 years, Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne. Some of the Van Doos actually served as her honor guard a couple of years ago."

This information surprised Pina. A queen ruling for almost a century? Not as a regent? She wondered just how terrible and ruthless such a woman had to be to keep her throne for such a long time.

The sound of a throat clearing was heard by everyone. It was Jimmy.

"Hum Kinh, I think they weren't looking for a history lesson there." he said in English.

There was a slight frown on his friend's face followed by a small "oh"

"Well, Canada has a governor-general that is the Queen's representative in our country as well as lieutenant-governors in our provinces though they have no real power whatsover." explained Kinh, "We elected our Prime Minister and our Parlement. Each province also has a Prime Minister and its own Parlement for local affairs since my country is simply too vast to be run directly from Ottawa."

The royals blinked.

"Ot-ta-wa?" wondered Pina.

"Capital of Canada." stated Jimmy quickly.

"But just how much territory does your nations have?" asked Bozes, "If you have so many governments?"

Kuribayashi decided to answer that question.

"Japan is an island nation with lots of mountains so our government is smaller if we can say that. The US and Canada on the other hand have many times more land than us."

Kinh's face lit up as he raised a finger.

"An image is worth a thousand words," he said, "Perhaps we can show you once we get back on Earth."

Jimmy and Itami nodded in agreement.

"We could ask our superiors to give you a map of our world when we get to Earth," the Marine added, "It shouldn't be too hard."

Suddenly, the intercom rang out.

"We're here!" called out the bus driver.

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it and saw the writing on the wall for what's coming next...**


End file.
